Addicted
by EilayAdnayVolieay
Summary: Rinoa's father, on a last attempt to make things right, sends her to Balamb to live with an old friend of her mothers. There, she meets Squall Leonhart. Two completely different people forced to live under the same roof. R & R.
1. Death of a Beloved Mother

**A/N:** Well, this is my first ever Final Fantasy VIII story, I meant to work on it during the school week but unfortunately the computers were always taken in the library. Two labs are always locked— my computer class lab I couldn't go to since my teacher would want me to work on my poster, and the other lab was locked and even if it wasn't there's a huge window that my teacher could see me through. So... I had to wait until the weekend. So here it is, the first chapter. Hope you like it, review, let me know what you think. Balamb is also a high school— I've read two stories like that so far and I like it. Plus I find it hard to write description for like a fighting school or magic school. Actually, check those two stories out, their the only Final Fantasy VIII favourite stories I have on my list. Can't remember what they're called... wait, ones called Take Me Out. The other I can't remember... but its good as well, so look at my favourite stories list and check it out because they're really, REALLY good.

**Full Summary:** Ever since Rinoa's beautiful mother died, she blamed her father. She even went as far as changing her last name from Caraway, her father's name, to Heartilly, her mother's maiden name. On a last attempt to make things right again, General Caraway (Rinoa's father, whose politics she's against) sent her to Balamb to live with an old friend of her mother's. There, sweet, kind-hearted Rinoa meets the cold, sometimes almost cruel, loner Squall Leonhart. Two completely different people forced to live under the same roof most unfortunately— at least that's what Rinoa thought after she first attempted speaking to Squall. What happens when one slowly finds themselves falling for the other? Read and find out.

**Song Credits:** This is yet another story I have with a song title as its title— it's because I have difficulties finding a title name, and as music is my life (next to writing, of course) its easy for me to choose a song that suits the story as a title. This song is called "Addicted" and it's by Simple Plan. Basically, its about someone who loves a person, but that person doesn't care about them, and left them. They don't really care that this person loves them and they left anyway. "I'm trying, to forget that, I'm addicted to you, but I want it and I need it, I'm addicted to you," and etc etc. Look up the lyrics— this song will be based around the song a BIT, but don't worry, I can't stand sad endings... so it won't really end up that the other person doesn't love back the one who falls in love with them.

**Disclaimer:** I would love, love, LOVE to take credit for the creation of Final Fantasy VIII, but it just wouldn't be right— its not mine, but I wish it was because its amazing.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter One: Death Of A Beloved Mother

Rinoa, a five year old girl at the time, tried not to scream as the car she was in got smashed up against another car. However, when she saw her mother's head fall limp after it was all over, the blood trickling down the side of her head, Rinoa began to cry uncontrollably and tried to get out of her seat, but her seat belt wouldn't allow it. She sat there, watching her mother die before her, as she cried into the night.

Julia Caraway died that day, March 26th. She had been rushed to the hospital, with a very faint pulse still remaining, but on the way there she slowly passed away into the night. Nobody would know what had been going through her mind, if she had been in any pain. All they knew was now, there was no more pain, or thoughts. There was nothing.

Over the years, as Rinoa grew up, she had nightmares— she had been the only one in the car at the time, but she liked sitting in the backseat. She found it more fun, as if her mother was her chauffeur and was driving her around. The nightmares, as she grew older, grew more intense and frightening. Things Rinoa had tried to forget came flooding back, all traumatic memories.

But what was more noticeable than the memories, was how more and more each passing day Rinoa blamed her father, the General of the Galbadian Army, for her mother's death. She knew, deep down, that it wasn't his fault— but he had tried to do something horrible: replace her mother. About a year after her mother had died, the General had began seeing a new woman. Two years later, they were married. Rinoa was eight years old, and had never forgiven her father. She told him nobody would ever replace her mother, ever. He said that he needed someone to help him take care of her, and that her stepmother Gabriella was perfect for that. Rinoa hated her stepmother. Hate, she knew, was a strong word... but it suited how she felt towards Gabriella well. Gabriella already had one child and Rinoa hated her. She was two-faced, and the exact replica of her mother, only in the body of a seventeen year old. Recently, after Rinoa had tried to run away, her father and stepmother realized they couldn't have children and adopted a little boy. Sammy was the only reason that Rinoa didn't run away every time her stepmother slapped her, every time her new stepsister spread some cruel, untrue rumor about her. He was only five years old, still young. He was the only person Rinoa considered family, and oddly enough, he had been addopted when she was thirteen. He had only been a year old. Unknown to her father, she had changed her name from Rinoa Caraway to Rinoa Heartilly. That had been her mother's maiden name, and it would now be her's as well. Once the General found out, he was furious, to Rinoa's face. Alone, he was sad, and devastated. Where had he gone wrong? Rinoa had always been such a wonderful child, and had always seemed to look up to him. After the death of her mother, she had changed. He knew deep down that he did as well, but he just wanted things right again. He hated that his daughter hated him. He never forced Rinoa to change her name back— he had gotten angry at her when he learned it, but he had accepted it after that. His daughter... hated him.

—

One day after school, Rinoa came home as sad as she usually did. She had no friends, at least not anymore. Before, she had been quite popular. That was before her step sister, Katie, had spread around the rumor that Rinoa had actually did things with her best friend's boyfriend. Of course, it had been Katie who had actually done those things with Rinoa's friends' boyfriend, but he had been drunk and believed her when she said she was Rinoa. Therefore, he backed up her story. None of the adults ever heard this rumor, but Rinoa lost every single one of her friends because of it. One day, they had learned that it hadn't been Rinoa, that it was actually Katie, because the boyfriend remembered Katie and not Rinoa, but after they came apologizing to Rinoa, she told them it was too late. They hadn't trusted her, and she couldn't forgive them for that. Even if it meant she had no friends, she didn't want friends who didn't trust her either. So Rinoa began to head up the stairs into her room as she had often done when her father called her down.

"Rinoa, may I have a word with you for a minute? I promise you, it won't take much more than that. It's not a lecture either," he added when she opened her mouth to comment. She shut it and came down the stairs, sitting on the very last one.

"I'm listening," she replied, in her soft voice. Her father came over to her and leaned against the wall.

"I know you don't like it here," he told her. "I'm sorry that you think I tried to replace your mother, I'm sorry that you think I don't care about you or her. I do, and I miss her just as much. But life goes on, Rinoa. Unfortunately, I can see that... that you are too mad at me to accept that. That's why I've decided to send you to Balamb." Rinoa looked up, shocked. Balamb? That's where her mother's old friend lived, the one that she used to always tell stories about. She had even wrote a song about him, called Eyes On Me. She had barely known him, and it had been love at first sight. Rinoa believed now that love at first sight was the type of love that never lasted. That was why they had never worked out.

"Balamb?" she asked. Her father nodded.

"Yes. I'm sending you to live with Laguna Loire. He has a new wife, after Raine died, he... well, he has a new wife, and she's nothing at all like your stepmother. That, I'm sure, will satisfy you. He also has found his son again. There's a story behind that, because his son had been in an orphanage. He hadn't known Raine was pregnant, and she had died and his son had been sent to Edea's orphanage. Years later, when Laguna moved to Balamb, he had found out that this boy was in fact his son. Through a girl whom he had been close to, Ellone. She's two years older than yourself, but his son Squall is your age. I... you're train leaves in two hours, so... you best pack. You may stay there, as long as you wish. I hope you'll be happier there than you have been here." For the first time since her mother had died, Rinoa ran over to her father and hugged him. She had seen Balamb when she was little, and had always loved the town. It was so beautiful, things were so peaceful even though there was always something going on. And it was right near the water... Rinoa's father was stunned, but patted Rinoa on the back.

"Thank you," she whispered. This was like a second chance for her. She knew now that her father was aware she was horribly unhappy. And surely he had guessed she no longer had friends, because she no longer invited them over or went to hang out with them on weekends. She ran up the stairs and began packing. It was only when she saw Sammy crying on her bed that she stopped.

"Oh Sammy..." she whispered. She had forgotten all about him. Of course her father wouldn't allow him to go with her; that was probably why Sammy was crying. She rushed over to him and hugged him tightly.

"I don't want... you to go..." he replied between sniffles. She hugged him close to her.

"I promise I'll come visit you. The only reason I stay here is because of you Sammy, but... I have to go. Please understand," she added. Sammy nodded.

"I know... you're not happy..." he replied slowly.

"It's not your fault though, you know that too, right?" she asked. Sammy nodded. He got up and left, before coming back with a picture he had drawn. Rinoa took it and saw he had drawn her.

"You want me to have this?" she asked. Sammy nodded. She looked at the picture again and had to admit that it wasn't too bad for a five year old. It was the basic picture, but he had coloured in the lines and gave a little detail to her eyes. She hugged him again. "I'll keep it forever," she promised him. After he had left, sadness hit Rinoa. She had no idea when she would see him again, and she had no idea if things would be better at Balamb. Maybe people just didn't like her... maybe that was the real reason she had no friends.

**A/N:** Well that's it for this chapter, the next one she'll be getting on the train and going to Balamb. So, what did you think? Was it okay to say it was my first time writing a Final Fantasy VIII story? The only flames welcome are those with constructive criticism, so please feel free to tell me what's wrong with the story, but offer some words of advice if you are. If its something I don't think needs to be changed, I won't, but if I think you're right, I will. So, review, let me know what you think. Not all chapters will have the long stuff at the start with the song credits and full summary, that was just a first chapter thing. R & R.


	2. Moving to Balamb

**A/N:** Well here's the second chapter of Addicted, hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** Again, not mine. So xP to you!

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Two: Moving To Balamb

Rinoa ran down the stairs with her bags. She had half an hour before her train took off without her, meaning she had to get to the train station right away. She saw her stepsister, Katie, glaring at her. That made Rinoa feel happy— knowing that her leaving was somehow bothering Katie. She also saw her stepmother, staring down at her disapprovingly. Clearly, Rinoa's father had acted on his own when he had told her she would be moving to Balamb. It seemed nobody from her step-family were happy about it.

"All set, I see." Rinoa's father replied. Rinoa nodded, but didn't say anything. _If looks could kill..._ she thought quietly. Her father grabbed her bags and put it in the car for her. Rinoa began to walk out when Katie had a temper tantrum.

"It's not fair! Why does she get to go? I'm better than her— I'm smarter, prettier, and I'm much more helpful around the house. She's being rewarded for being disrespectful to you and mother!" she added. Rinoa glared at her. _You hateful... little... ooh!_ Rinoa was always easily angered by her stepsister— after all, her stepsister had literally ruined her life. Now she was trying to do it again.

"She's not being rewarded," Rinoa's father replied lightly. Gabriella, Rinoa's stepmother, turned to him, fury in her eyes.

"Oh, isn't she?" she asked. "I believe that's exactly what's happening. Your little princess is unhappy for a few days and so you decide its time to ship her off somewhere else. You don't fool me one second." Gabriella added. _Well... _Rinoa thought, _the train ticket's already bought... I'm out of here. Might as well go out with a bang._

"For a few days? Try my entire life, starting from the day you walked in." Rinoa replied angrily. "I'm unhappy because of you, and you slapping me because once I was late, another time because of something your daughter did. I'm unhappy because of you, Katie, for making up rumors when really it wasn't me who did those things, it was you. I lost all of my friends because of it. Sorry for not being happy when I'm forced to live with you, but go and pick up any sane human being from anywhere at all, and try making them live with you for one week and see how unhappy they are by the end of it." Gabriella came forward and slapped Rinoa across the face so hard that there was a red hand print on her face. Rinoa glared at her step mother, grabbed her bags from her father, grabbed the keys to his car, and got in. Rinoa's father realized what she was doing, but the doors were locked and Rinoa was already driving too fast for him to keep up. Gabriella stared at the car as it disappeared.

"She's your daughter. You go get her," she replied darkly. She wrapped her arm around her own daughter and began walking inside the house. Rinoa's father stared at her, confused. Before, they always said "our" children even though biologically they weren't. Sighing, he went inside.

"I can't get her myself. By the time I get there, she'll already be on the train— she has the ticket. She'll leave the car there, and I can't drive two cars back myself." he replied. Gabriella glared at him.

"So walk there," she replied coolly. "I'm taking Katie shopping anyways."

—

Rinoa dragged her luggage onto the train and sat down in her compartment. She hated leaving like that, and even though her aunt had only been told the truth, she still felt bad. She was too nice to say something like that and not feel bad. She stared out the window as the train began to move, and silently she wished she had a place she could truly call her home. It seemed the place that had been her home, wasn't the same without her mother. She hoped that Laguna Loire would perhaps be better than her stepmother had been to her. With the thought of a new beginning in her mind, Rinoa slowly fell asleep on the train.

—

Rinoa awoke to the sound of an announcement from the speaker saying that they would be arriving in Balamb shortly. Rinoa yawned and stretched and looked out her window. She saw the ocean and smiled. She always loved it there, right close to the water. She wondered if someone would be waiting for her at the station or if she would be forced to find them. When she got off, however, she saw a woman in her late thirties and a young man who appeared to be her age waiting there for her. The woman ran over to her immediately.

"Oh you must be Rinoa, you look just like your mother!" she exclaimed. The young man, who Rinoa assumed was Laguna's son that her father had mentioned, walked over and grabbed her bags without ever saying a word. _How rude! Well... maybe he's just shy._ Rinoa thought. She smiled at the bubbly woman.

"Thank you— my mother was extremely beautiful, so I don't think I really look much like her." Rinoa walked over to where the young man had gone. "Hey," she replied. He ignored her and sat in the front of the car after putting the last of her bags in the car. Rinoa frowned... it was one thing to be shy, but he didn't have to ignore her. Even an awkward "hey" would have been okay.

"That's Squall, my stepson. Squall, say hello to our guest, don't be rude!" she scolded. Squall sighed and looked at Rinoa.

"Hey." he replied briefly. He returned to staring straight ahead, and Rinoa looked where he was. There was nothing there, not a person or animal— just the ocean. Did he enjoy it as much as she did? She realized she had been staring at him and quickly looked back at his stepmother.

"And what may I call you?" Rinoa asked.

"Nico." she replied. Rinoa smiled and sat in the backseat of the car. Nico began driving but smiled into the rearview mirror.

"So how's your father?" she asked. "Everyone, how are they?"

"My fathers... angry, I'm sure. My stepmother, unlike yourself, is self-centered and hates me and couldn't be more glad to get rid of me. My stepsister hates me even more and has already ruined my life back in Deling. The only one who isn't mad is my little adopted brother Sammy, and he's too devastated that I've left." Rinoa covered her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. "I'm sorry... there was a slight argument before I got on the train, and I guess it bothered me more than I realized."

"Its okay. Your father said you weren't fond of your stepmother or stepsister. I've met them both before, and... I can't blame you." Rinoa smiled, relieved that she hadn't somehow sounded disrespectful. She didn't want to have a bad start here. Squall, for the first time, spoke up.

"How exactly did your stepsister ruin your life? What did she do, wreck one of your shoes or something?" he asked sarcastically. Rinoa glared at him, but forced herself to forget his rudeness.

"No. She spread a filthy lie about me around the school that ended up hurting every one of my friends. In reality, what she said I did, she had done herself. All my friends were angry at me, and I lost all of them. That's saying a lot, considering I was popular before. I'm not one to care over the loss of shoes, or clothes." she added firmly.

"Don't be rude, Squall." Nico scolded. Squall shut his eyes and didn't say another word the rest of the way. Rinoa was silent as well, unless Nico asked her one question or another. Finally, they arrived at what Rinoa assumed must have been their home. She liked it— it wasn't small, but it was far from the size of the mansion her father had forced her to live in. It seemed just the right size to be cosy— not huge and empty, making her feel lonely. Although after speaking to Squall, however briefly, she had a feeling it might feel empty. Now that the school year was out, she had a whole summer ahead of her, and Squall didn't seem the type to show her around and introduce her to people. Any friends she made, she would have to make on her own.

Squall still didn't say a word, but he grabbed her bags again and carried it inside. Clearly, he already knew what room she would be staying in because he continued up the stairs and down the hall. Nico quickly told Rinoa to follow him to her room, so when he came back for her other bags, she followed him up the stairs.

"This is your room— the bathroom's across the hall." Squall began to leave but Rinoa called him.

"You aren't very talkative, are you?" she asked. Squall looked at her, but said nothing and walked out. Rinoa went to look into the halls to see him, but he entered what must have been his room and shut the door. Great... Rinoa was here by herself. She looked around at her room. It was painted a bright red, and on the ceiling she could see glow-in-the-dark stickers of moons and stars. The bed was right next to the window, so she could look out it if she sat up in her bed at night. There was a desk in the corner, a closet and two dressers for her clothes. She wondered then if she would get anything of hers from her home, or if her father would get rid of it. She had brought everything with her that she had wanted— all of her clothes were with her, that took three huge bags. She didn't have any big, bulky clothes like a large sweater, so it all fit in fairly easily. She had left behind a few of her clothes, such as a few dresses, but she brought one dress that had belonged to her mother. She would never, ever get rid of it. Then, in one other bag, she had a scrapbook, some pictures in frames, a photo album... and just a few things she had from when she was younger. She saw a picture of the dog she used to have when she was little and smiled. Her mother had gotten it for her birthday— ironically, it died the day after her mother did. Hit by a car.

After she had gotten all of her clothes put in the drawers, there was a knock at Rinoa's door. She turned around and saw someone who looked a lot like Squall— _Laguna,_ she realized.

"Ah, I see you've packed. How was the trip up here?" he asked her. She smiled, sitting on her bed.

"It was okay, I slept most of it." Rinoa added quietly. Laguna nodded and entered her room.

"So... do you like it here?" he asked her, awkwardly. She nodded.

"Yeah... my father would have hated this room." she added. "Because its red... so naturally, I love it." she replied grinning. Laguna laughed.

"I'm glad you like it. You're father called, he'll be sending your things here as soon as he can. He said he was upset, but he knew it was just bottled up anger finally coming out and he understood why you overreacted." _Overreacted? She had finally told her stepmother what she thought about her. Well, just a bit of what she thought. She could only be so bold so much._

"I'm glad." she replied briefly. It was horribly awkward talking to Laguna, considering he had been her mothers first love, however brief.

"You really do look like your mother," he replied finally. "Dinners almost ready." he added. Rinoa nodded.

"I'll be down in a few minutes." she replied absentmindedly. Laguna walked out of her room, and she saw Squall walk by. He didn't even look her way— no smile on his face, his eyes staring into space. Was he always off in his own world? Sighing, Rinoa decided to head down the stairs to dinner. She looked around her room one last time. It did feel much more at home then back in Deling, but... it still felt lonely. She'd be relieved when she finally made some friends.

As she got down the stairs, she saw that they were already at the table. She smiled apologetically.

"Sorry." she replied. Squall said nothing, and Rinoa felt the urge to say something to him. But she wouldn't do that— she barely knew him, perhaps that was the way he acted around people he had just met. She'd give him time... although she doubted it would help any.

"Its alright," Nico replied warmly. They ate dinner mostly in silence, except the odd time Laguna or Nico would throw a few questions at Rinoa about Deling. She did like it there— there was always something going on, and when her friends hadn't been angry at her, they had good times there. She told them a few stories, and noticed that time to time Squall did look up at her. It seemed funny to her, seeing him show the slightest interest. He seemed to desire otherwise. Squall soon quietly asked if he could be excused, and he left the house. _Where's he going?_ Rinoa wondered. It was late, and he didn't seem to be the friendly type— maybe he just didn't like her. Maybe Rinoa had been right— she had no friends because nobody liked her.

**A/N:** Well here's the next chapter, all in one night! Anyways thanks to my first reviewer, and don't forget to review!


	3. Summertime Blues

**A/N:** Hmm I wonder if I can manage three chapters in one night? I'll try it, anyways. Just because I really want to do this story and get it moving. Thanks for any reviews, thanks to those who are going to review— now here's the story.

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, not mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Three: Summertime Blues

Over the next few weeks, things didn't really change much for Rinoa. She had stayed in her room the whole time, reading the books Laguna and Nico had in their library— and reading the articles Laguna had wrote about his travels. Now, she was tired of reading, tired of being so quiet. She just wanted to get out there and have some social interaction. She laughed at that. Why would she want social interaction? She had gone certainly long enough as it was without actually talking to people or hanging out. After what Katie had done to her, she didn't have any friends to hang out with. _Its because... this is a new start._ Rinoa realized. _I've been given a second chance to start new, where nobody has heard those nasty rumors. Where I can make friends and never have to worry about what Katie might say to make me lose them this time._

It was a sunny Saturday morning when Rinoa decided she was going to explore Balamb. She hadn't seen much of it on her way to Laguna and Nico's home, and now she was rather curious as to what she had missed. She walked downstairs and saw that Laguna was gone. Nico smiled at her as she descended down the stairs.

"Good morning, Rinoa," she replied warmly. Rinoa smiled.

"Good morning," she said. She saw Squall sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the paper. Nico placed the pancakes on a plate in the center of the table and smiled.

"I'm off, I have to do some shopping." she added. "Would either of you like anything?" she asked. Rinoa smiled.

"No thanks," she and Squall replied in unison. He glared at her but said nothing after that. After Nico left, Rinoa sat down next to Squall and began eating. He stared at her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"What makes you think its okay for you to sit next to me?" he asked her. She frowned at him in reply and began eating. She wasn't moving— if he didn't want to sit next to her, he'd have to move. Clearly, he wasn't going anywhere. She saw he wasn't eating and sighed.

"Do you ever eat breakfast?" she asked him. She had noticed while she had been there that he rarely ate anything— it had been a true surprise to see him sitting at the table that morning because he was usually never in the house. She had barely seen him the entire time she had been staying at his home. He looked up at her, as if demanding to know why she thought he wanted to talk. He sighed and stood up.

"Yeah, but lately I haven't had much of an appetite." he told her. _Wow... a whole ten words... total of twenty three in one day! There's a record..._ she thought sarcastically. Then she was surprised with herself. _Since when have I been sarcastic?_ She asked herself. She felt like an idiot— who asks themselves a question? If they have to ask in the first place, they clearly wouldn't know the answer. Maybe the new beginning had inadvertently caused her to change from sweet to sarcastic. Well, that wasn't entirely true— she could still be really sweet, and she was rarely sarcastic. She just also happened to be having a few more reasons to be sarcastic then usual, that was all.

"Thanks, I can take a hint." she told him. "I... uh..." Rinoa had the idea occur to her randomly, basically out of nowhere, and now she felt shocked that she had thought of it at all. Squall looked up at her.

"What?" he asked her finally.

"I was wondering... I mean, I know you don't like me. But do you think... you could tell me where most people our age go on a Saturday morning? Or just... on the weekend. I want to get out of the house, and—" She was babbling, she knew. It was the side-effect she got from being nervous. Who wouldn't be nervous, Squall Leonhart wasn't exactly a comforting person to be around!

"Fine, whatever. I'll take you there, but your on your own after that." he told her. She smiled.

"Great! Thanks," she added. Squall didn't say anything and stood up. He looked at her expectantly, but received only a look of confusion in response. "What?" she asked.

"As in, now?" he told her. She looked down at the chocolate chip pancakes on her plate.

"But... I haven't ate breakfast yet," she protested. Squall sighed and poured himself another coffee. It might be awhile...

—

The walk to wherever Squall was taking her was silent. Rinoa would try to engage in conversation from time to time, but after awhile she decided to just stop. Clearly, he wasn't in the listening mood. Or talking mood... actually, he never was. That was why Rinoa was so relieved to be out of the house at last. She had been stuck in there for so long, even if of her own free will. Today was too beautiful of a day to stay cooped up— Rinoa had a full-blown case of the Summertime blues, and she knew it. She had almost forgotten the fact that she had spent a lot of the past few years without her friends, and staying on her own inside her room. Now it was as if that had never happened— as if it had all been an ugly dream.

Finally, Squall stopped walking and turned to Rinoa.

"Why did you come here?" he asked her.

"Ahh! It speaks!" she joked. After realizing he wasn't really in a laughing mood, she kicked a pebble on the sidewalk. "My father suggested it--- actually, he informed me right after school. Why? Do I bother you that much?" she asked him.

"…no. You're not usually around that much and when you are, I'm not." He pointed up ahead.

"That's where most of the kids hang out, is at that strip plaza," Squall told her. (A/N: You know, its like a mall only you have to walk outside and then in? And its one floor) Rinoa saw that there was an arcade there, a restaurant, a movie store, and an indoor pool. She saw Squall starting to leave.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"I told you that you were on your own after I brought you here," he reminded her. She looked down.

"Oh. Well…" she brightened, "thank you!" she turned around and walked over to the arcade. There were a lot of kids in there, but she didn't see anyone that looked her age. She turned around and saw that Squall had already left. Sometimes, he could really irritate her because he never wanted to talk, but she had been surprised when he actually talked to her today. She had no idea what had made her ask him to take her where the other kids hung out--- she hadn't even thought about it, she just… said it. _He's such a… well, a loner. He is kind of cute, though, but that doesn't make up for his rudeness. _Rinoa thought. She was just about to head towards the beach when she walked right into someone. She fell to the ground and looked up, seeing an apologetic looking girl. The girl outstretched her hand and Rinoa took it gratefully.

"Thanks," she replied. The girl tilted her head and smiled.

"Are you new here, or visiting?" she asked.

"New," Rinoa replied. "I'm Rinoa by the way," she added.

"That's such a pretty name, mine's Selphie! I'm sorry for running into you like that, I was trying to get here in time to meet my friend Quistis, we were going to the pool. Do you want to come with us?" she asked. Rinoa smiled and nodded.

"Sure. Selphie…" Rinoa started, "Do you know anyone named Squall Leonhart?" she asked. Selphie frowned.

"Yeah… he's been in some of my classes, why do you ask?" then Selphie gasped. "Do you like him?" she asked. Rinoa shook her head frantically.

"_No!"_ she replied. "I'm kind of staying with his family, and I was just wondering--- does he always act so… mean?" Rinoa asked. They had begun walking again and were entering the indoor pool area.

"Yeah, usually. He's not all bad--- I mean, I think he's just really awkward around, well, people. He can be really nice at times, like this one time this little boy was being picked on, and Squall didn't realize that anyone was watching so he went over and helped the kid out. Of course, if you ask him about it, he'll get all defensive and be like, "So what?". He barely ever talks…" she said. Rinoa laughed.

"Yeah, I've noticed. And he barely eats breakfast, he's never at home. He must go out to meet some of his friends or something," Rinoa replied. She looked around and felt more comfortable. Here, there were more teenagers and adults in their early to late twenties. She saw that someone was waving at Selphie, who waved back.

"That's Quistis, come on," she replied. Rinoa followed her over to the girl who had waved. "Quistis, this is Rinoa." Selphie told her. "She's new here--- wait, Rinoa, he goes out all the time? Where does he go, he doesn't really have any friends." Selphie told her. Rinoa frowned…. Was it by his own choice that Squall didn't have friends, or was he, like she had been, forced to lose them?

"Who are you talking about?" Quistis asked.

"Squall Leonhart. Rinoa asked me if he was always so mean. She moved in with his family," Selphie added.

"I feel sorry for you," she told Rinoa. "No wonder you left the house, I would. Talking to him is like talking to a brick wall--- pointless."

"Yeah, you're right. And he's rude too! I mean, he agrees to show me where all the kids our age hang out and then he just leaves!" Rinoa exclaimed. "I mean, he could have at least offered to keep me company. When I got of the train, he didn't say a word until he had something bad to say."

"He agreed to show you around? Be grateful for that, normally he'd shout out the person who asked. Still… if he talked to people, like a normal person, he'd be so popular, so why is it that he chooses not to?" Quistis asked. "I mean, who chooses to not have friends?"

"Someone who thinks they don't need them," a fourth voice replied. The girls all jumped, and Rinoa turned and saw a guy with blonde hair, spiked near the front.

"My God Zell don't scare us like that," Quistis scolded. "And how exactly do you know that?" she asked him. Zell grinned.

"I have my sources." He replied. He began to leave, but Quistis grabbed his arm and refused to let go. "Alright, alright! We were partners on this project once because the teacher picked them, and I asked him why he never bothered to try to make friends. "I don't need friends, I can handle everything on my own." He told me. He's been like that for so long, I mean when we were little and in pre-school, I remember he was a lot different. Then things were going on with his sister Ellone, and he just went… well, the way he is now. Why are you guys talking about Squall Leonhart anyways?" he asked.

"Because Rinoa asked us about him." Selphie replied. Zell looked over at Rinoa, seeing her for the first time.

"Oh, hey. I'm assuming you're Rinoa," he added. Rinoa nodded. "I'm Zell, why did you want to know about Squall?" he asked. Rinoa saw a smirk forming and she rushed to explain.

"Its nothing like that!" she exclaimed. "I just… well, my father sent me here to live with an old friend of my mother's, because I had some--- issues--- back home. So Laguna Loire is this friend of my mother's, and his son is Squall, so… I just wanted to know if he was always so distant and mean or if it was just because of something I did. I guess it wasn't anything I did," she replied.

"You live with him? That should be interesting," Zell commented. Rinoa shook her head.

"I… not really. He's not around much," Rinoa told him. Zell grinned.

"Well as fun as it is to talk about Squall Leonhart," he replied sarcastically, "I have to go get to work. I just stopped by here to tell Irvine I'm not covering for him this time if he doesn't show up. Bye Quistis, Selphie. Nice meeting you Rinoa," he added before running off.

"Everyone I've met here seems so nice, except Squall of course." Rinoa replied. Selphie smiled.

"That's good that you think people are nice, and don't worry about Squall, maybe you'll make him come around yet huh?" Selphie replied. Rinoa looked up.

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" she asked. Selphie grinned evilly.

"Nothing…" she replied innocently.

---

That night, Nico told Rinoa that Laguna was working late and that she would be at a friends house for their card night.

"I've already ordered pizza, there's money on the counter," she added breathlessly. "If you need me, the number's on the fridge, Squall should know it but its possible he might just up and leave throughout the night. Bye," she added through the door. Rinoa grabbed herself something to drink and headed up to her room. She saw Squall heading downstairs.

"Your mother went out, she ordered pizza for us," Rinoa told him. He looked at her.

"And?" he asked. Rinoa was taken aback.

"And nothing, I was just telling you," she replied. She went into her room and lied down on her bed. She glanced over at a picture of her mother and sighed. She really did miss her mother… so much. People like Squall bothered her, because he didn't care so much about his stepmother and took advantage of what she did for him. Rinoa… she didn't have anyone to do that for her all her life. Gabriella had always been rude to her, literally like some evil stepmother from Cinderella. And Katie was more than evil enough to equal the two evil stepsisters.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway woke Rinoa up, and she realized that she had fallen asleep. She walked down the stairs and had just reached the bottom when the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" she shouted. She grabbed the money from the counter and opened the door, and was shocked to see Zell there. "Zell?"

"Oh, hey Rinoa." He replied. He had three boxes of pizza in his arms--- Rinoa realized it was so there was extra if they got hungry on the weekend, because she had said both her and Laguna would probably be away most of that time. Zell carried the pizza's inside and Rinoa told him to put it on the counter. Rinoa went to hand the money to Zell but he jerked his head back.

"Give it to Irvine," he replied. "I'm off the clock now, and since he owes me, he agreed to drive back the delivery van and drop off the money." Rinoa walked over to the door and saw a guy in a similar outfit as Zell--- it was their work uniform, she realized--- and handed him the money. He grinned at her.

"Leonhart's got himself a girlfriend? Shocking," Irvine replied. Rinoa flushed.

"I'm not his girlfriend, I live here… his father was an old friend of my mothers, and my father sent me here." She informed him. Irvine raised an eyebrow.

"Quick to correct me, weren't you?" he asked. Zell came over.

"Hey, give her a break Irvine, she didn't choose where to live." Zell told him. Irvine slid over to the drivers side.

"Nobody would choose to live with---" Before Irvine had a chance to finish his sentence, Squall appeared in the doorway of the house. He held out the phone to Rinoa.

"Rinoa, its for you. It's Selphie--- she's in a very loud mood, so…" Rinoa grabbed the phone and smiled.

"Thanks!" she replied. Squall turned around and went in the house.

"Whatever," he muttered.

"I'm going to take this back, nice meeting you, Rinoa." Irvine told her. She felt awkward when she saw he was staring at her and nodded. Irvine drove off and Zell came over to her.

"I live next door," he told her. "So I'll be on my way to get out of this uniform. Say hi to Selphie for me," he added. Rinoa nodded and walked into the house.

"Was that Zell and Irvine?" Selphie asked on the other end.

"Yeah, they delivered pizza. So what's up?" Rinoa asked. She saw Squall hadn't even touched the pizza. "Just a second, Selphie." Rinoa put the phone down and walked up the stairs. Squall was in his room. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked him. He shook his head.

"No. Got a problem with that?" he asked. Rinoa glared at him.

"Okay Squall, I get the hint--- you don't like me. Don't starve yourself because of it," she told him. She stormed down the stairs and picked up the phone. "I'm back." She replied.

"What's gotten into you?" Selphie asked.

"Squall! It's so…" Rinoa groaned. "He's just--- oh I don't know. He's not eating again, I mean he doesn't appreciate anything his stepmother does for him, at least he never shows it. My mother died in a car accident when I was five, and my stepmother was a… well, she was always mad at me and really she didn't like me at all. No matter what I did," Rinoa added. "So it bothers me that he doesn't seem to care--- Nico, his stepmother, is so nice! I mean I can understand if he feels as though nobody could replace his mother, but he could at least let Nico make her own place with him. Anyways, forget about that--- do you want to come over? It's too quiet here---" Rinoa added. Selphie laughed.

"With Squall there? I don't doubt it--- its like the floors are afraid to creak because he might get mad at them." Selphie laughed again. "Sure, I don't mind going over to a friends house if she's fully loaded with pizza. I'll bet there in ten minutes. You're right next door to Zell, right?" Selphie asked.

"Yeah. You'll know which house right away—it will be the one my screams of pain and suffering are coming from." Rinoa added. They both laughed and then hung up. Rinoa dished out some pizza on a plate and took it upstairs. Squall ignored her when she came in.

"I thought I'd bring this up to you, since you seem to like it up here so much. Selphie's coming over," she added. Squall said nothing. She sighed and turned and left. _A thank you would have been nice. Like, gee, thanks Rinoa--- but who am I kidding? This is Squall, he's not exactly the kindest person on earth._ Rinoa walked down the stairs and sat on the couch eating pizza and watching TV until Selphie came.

**A/N:** Well there was a bit of a longer chapter, over 3,000 words anyways. Man I have killed five mosquitos in the past fifteen minutes, in my room alone. BLEH! Anyways, R & R. Hope you enjoyed.


	4. Sleep Over Part 1

**A/N:** Firstly, thanks to everyone who reviewed— you guys rock and you're the reason why I'm updating this so frequently. I mean yeah I love the story, since FF VIII just rocks my multi-coloured toe socks, but I love all my stories. Usually I don't thank reviewers individually, because after awhile it takes up a lot of space and hey, its easier to use the review reply. However, one particular reviewer has been really great— Emerald-Latias, thanks so much for the constructive criticism, I really take it to heart. Hopefully, after a few bumps along the way, I'll make this story really great because of your help. To everyone else, thanks so much for your reviews---- really. R & R, and here's the next chapter— lets see how I can take those words of advice and put it into the story. Hopefully, I do better. I'll work really hard on this chapter to get two points fixed: Atmosphere, and a bit of the character stuff.

**Disclaimer:** Again, not mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Four: Sleep over Part 1

Rinoa flipped through the channels, bored. She wondered where Selphie was— it had already been fifteen minutes. She heard someone walking down the stairs, and looked up, seeing Squall returning his plate. She put the remote down and walked over to him.

"Hungry after all, huh?" she asked. He didn't say anything, but instead grabbed a drink from the fridge. Rinoa sighed, giving up her attempt to engage in conversation. Selphie would be there any minute, and Rinoa decided that as long as Squall had at least ate something, she would leave him alone— for now.

The doorbell rang and Rinoa walked over to look through the peephole. She saw Selphie, jumping up and down outside. She heard a snort from behind her, and she turned to see Squall already walking up the stairs. _What's his problem?_ Rinoa wondered. She opened the door and let Selphie inside.

"Hi! Wow, sorry I'm so late, you wouldn't believe it! There was some accident just a few blocks down from here, the police were all over the place. Some drunk driver, a woman was killed... it was horrible," Selphie added. Rinoa's head began spinning. _Drunk driver... a woman... killed. No... mom... I... I can't help you— you're already... gone_. Rinoa suddenly thought nothing— all she saw, was darkness.

—

Rinoa slowly opened her eyes— everything was blurry. _What... what happened?_ Rinoa wondered. After her vision had cleared, she saw she was lying on the couch in the living room. Selphie was sitting on the floor, looking up at her worried. Squall came in after getting off the phone, and saw she was awake.

"I... what happened?" Rinoa asked them.

"I was hoping you could tell us. You just... passed out." Selphie added. Rinoa held her head, which felt terrible. She must have hit it off the floor when she had fallen. Rinoa noticed Squall staring at her.

"What?" she asked him. He looked away quickly.

"Nothing." he told her sharply. "Don't you have any idea what could have brought this on?" he asked finally. Rinoa tried to think, but it hurt her head.

"I don't know..." she replied softly. "What were we talking about Selphie?" she asked. Selphie thought for a moment.

"Oh! The accident, where a lady was killed because of this drunk driver smashing into her car." Rinoa felt her head spinning again. _No! Not again... _she tried to stand up, but failed and fell back on the couch. Sighing, she stared at the ground. She didn't want to get into detail about why that would bother her, but she knew they wouldn't stop bothering her until she told them. Well, Squall probably wouldn't— he was off in his own world again. But Selphie... she seemed nice, Rinoa thought. A little too energetic at times, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Selphie ran out to the kitchen and grabbed Rinoa some water, when she saw her start to get a funny look on her face again like she had before she passed out the first time.

"Thanks," Rinoa replied, taking the water from Selphie. She looked at the clock, and realized she had been out for an hour. No wonder Selphie had looked so worried, when Rinoa had come to. Even Squall— well, he was frowning just a little less. Not that big of an improvement, but Rinoa didn't care about that at the moment. Just as the clock was going off because it was nine o'clock, the door was thrown open and Nico came running in.

"Oh I came as soon as Squall called me," she replied breathlessly. She knelt down next to Rinoa. "Are you alright?" she asked. Rinoa sighed.

"Yeah... I don't really know why I got like that. I mean... well, I do," she corrected herself. And she did. Her own mother had been killed in a car accident due to a drunk driver— she knew exactly what had caused her to suddenly black out. She wondered if anyone else in the accident was hurt. Even more so, she wondered if there was a crying little girl inside that car with her mother, doomed to be forever traumatized by the accident. Just like she felt she had been... she could live a normal life, if nobody left her alone with her thoughts. Once she had time to think, the memories flooded back. She thought of her mother's limp head, and the blood that had trickled down the side of it, while poor Rinoa was forced to watch. Shuddering, Rinoa finally attempted to stand up again. She wobbled a bit at first, and felt dizzy. After that, she was better, and she walked out to the kitchen to grab some pizza as if nothing had happened.

"What happened?" Nico asked her softly. Rinoa jumped, not realizing that the woman had followed her into the kitchen. Selphie had remained in the living room, now relieved that Rinoa was okay. Squall, after looking Rinoa's way once again, as if he could see with his eyes whether she was really alright or not, went up the stairs with his drink. Rinoa leaned against the counter, staring at the ground.

"Selphie came over, and... she told me she had been late because there was an accident. A woman... she was killed. It was another drunk-driver case," Rinoa added. Nico didn't seem to understand. _Please don't make me explain..._ Rinoa silently begged. However, Nico remained looking confused and Rinoa realized she would have to explain.

"My mother, that was... that was how she died," Rinoa replied, in barely a whisper. Nico's eyes grew wide, and she came over and hugged Rinoa tightly.

"I'm so sorry, I never even... I... it must have been terrible for you," Nico added after awhile. Rinoa nodded, tears slowly falling down her cheeks. She brushed them away and smiled.

"It was, but... I guess I grew accustomed to it. I have nightmares still, but... I'm doing better than ever. Nico?" Rinoa asked. Nico looked up.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I was wondering... when you first married Laguna, did Squall or Ellone come off as though they resented you?" Rinoa asked. Nico laughed.

"Resented me? What on earth for?" she asked. Rinoa took a deep breath, trying to find the right words.

"Well... Raine, she died, and Laguna moved on and married you. Did they ever resent you, as if you were trying to replace Raine?" Rinoa asked. Nico looked at her, and although she didn't say anything, she had a good idea why Rinoa was asking.

"If they did, they never told me. Rinoa, its okay for you to not want anyone to replace your mother— no one ever will," she added. "You just have to give people a chance. That's all they expect of you— a chance." Nico put the other two boxes of pizza in the fridge and then smiled. "Why don't you ask your friend to spend the night?" Nico suggested. Rinoa smiled.

"I... I will. Thanks, Nico. For everything. I wish my stepmother was more like you... or even just a little," Rinoa added. As Rinoa walked away, Nico smiled. She really thought Rinoa was a good kid, who didn't deserve half the things she had been forced to endure. Sighing, Nico walked up stairs. She'd have a word with Squall about his recent attitude— he was often distant to everyone, but lately he had been worse than ever.

—

"So you're okay now?" Selphie asked, after Rinoa had asked her to spend the night. Rinoa smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. It was just... my mother died in a drunken car accident, the other driver was drunk. I was in the car... I guess I just wasn't expecting another accident so similar to it happen. Of course, I should have known it would be— car accidents due to drinking and driving are one of the leading causes of the deaths. So do you think you'll be allowed to stay over?" Rinoa asked, changing the subject. Selphie understood that Rinoa didn't want to continue the discussion about her mother, and allowed the change.

"I should be, but I'll call to let my mom and dad know at least. If I tell them you live right next door to the Dincht's, my mom will feel better— Zell's family and my family have been like this for most of my life," Selphie replied, crossing her fingers. Rinoa handed her the phone and told her she was going to change.

As Rinoa changed into her pyjama's, she looked at a picture of her mother that was on her dresser. The tears began to fall down her face again, and she found she couldn't fight them back no matter how hard she tried. Instead of resisting, she allowed the tears to flow freely down her face as she recalled what happened after her mother had died.

_Finally, help had come. Rinoa's mother had been knocked out for quite some time already, and she was losing time. If she didn't get to the hospital soon, she'd die. Rinoa tried to undo her seatbelt again, but it was stuck, and her small hands couldn't seem to work properly. She began crying, when she heard an ambulance and the police sirens coming closer and closer. Someone helped her out of the car as the paramedics carefully removed her mother from the vehicle. She was put on a stretcher, and the police had no choice but to ask the only awake witness what had happened— even if she was only five, her word was better than nothing. _

"_Hey there, kiddo. Can you tell us what happened?" the police officer asked. Rinoa had been sucking her thumb, and shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it... she just wanted to forget that it had ever happened in the first place. "We can't stop whoever did this unless you do." the officer added gently._

"_I don't know w-w-what happened. My m-mommy... is my m-m-mommy going to be o-okay?" Rinoa asked. Her voice was shaky, because she was ready to cry. The officer forced what he thought was a comforting smile._

"_She'll be just fine if you tell us what happened." the officer told her. Rinoa shook her head._

"_No she won't... she won't, will she? I saw... saw..." Rinoa grew dizzy, and when she awoke, she was lying in a hospital bed. There was a light directly above her that was shining into her face, hurting her eyes. Rinoa looked around and saw her father, who looked devestated. She sat up but felt dizzy. After the dizzy feeling had gone away, she asked her dad what had happened to her mom._

"_Rinoa..." he replied softly. He didn't know how to tell her this. How do you tell a five year old, who's never been faced with the thought of death before because you told her that her hamster had went for a walk and gotten lost, that her own mother was dead? Her father reached over and hugged her, and Rinoa knew something was wrong. She didn't know how, it just didn't feel right._

"_Daddy?" she asked again._

"_I... Rinoa, your mother... your mother, she's... in a better place now." he told her lamely. Rinoa didn't understand. What place could be better than with her and her daddy?_

"_But daddy..."_

"_When a person... when a person dies, they go to a place called Heaven. Once someone goes to Heaven, sweetheart, they don't come back. We never see them again, never hear them speak. We have only the memories of them to comfort us, and the fact that they're in a better place." her father told her. Rinoa tried to think over her dad's words. Some of it made sense, but then a lot of it was confusing as well._

"_Mommy's... gone?" she asked. Her father nodded sadly. "Forever?" _

"_Yes, Rinoa, she's... she's gone forever," her father choked back a sob and forced on a smile. Rinoa began to cry, uncontrollably. There was no comforting her, it was near impossible._

"_MOMMY!" she screamed. "MOMMY DON'T LEAVE ME!" Rinoa hugged her father. "Don't leave me..." she whispered._

Rinoa realized that she had been crying even more while she remembered that awful time, and wiped her eyes. She didn't want Selphie thinking she was still sad after all, because that would lead to questions. If Rinoa had to answer them... she'd only become sad again. Just as Rinoa grabbed her pyjama's out of the drawers, she saw a shadow that had been near her door quickly vanish. Rinoa walked over to the doorway and looked out into the hall. There was nobody there— Squall's door was shut tight, and she could see the light shining under the door at the crack. Nico was in her bedroom, quietly singing as she changed into her own pyjamas. And Selphie, as far as Rinoa knew, was still downstairs. _That's odd... _Rinoa thought. Deciding not to focus too much on the mysterious shadow, she closed her door and changed into a white t-shirt with a kitten on it, and baby blue silk pyjama bottoms— her favourite, most comfortable pair.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she saw that Selphie was sitting on the couch laughing at some TV show. Rinoa plopped down next to her on the couch.

"Your parents are okay with you staying?" she asked. Selphie nodded.

"Yep!" she exclaimed. Rinoa smiled.

"But you have no pyjamas," she pointed out. "We look about the same size, why don't you go pick something out? Come on," Rinoa added, jumping off the couch and running up the stairs. She kept walking and turned around, laughing at Selphie who had tripped and just barely stopped herself from falling flat on her face. Suddenly, as she was walking backwards, she made contact with something. _What the..._ Rinoa turned around and was mere inches from Squall's face. She backed away quickly.

"Sorry," she muttered. Squall shrugged and walked down the stairs, passing a very hysterical Selphie on the way.

"It wasn't funny Rinoa!" she whined. Suddenly, without warning, she burst out laughing herself. "Well... maybe a little," she admitted. Rinoa rolled her eyes and showed her into her room.

"Here, this is where my PJ's are. Just pick out whatever you want, I think I have a Winnie the Pooh pair of PJ's in there somewhere." she added. She didn't know why, but Selphie strangely reminded her of someone who would be totally obsessed with Winnie the Pooh. Perhaps it was her childish ways— not that she was childish in a bad sense.

"Ooh!" Selphie squealed. She held up the Winnie the Pooh pair of pyjamas. "Awesome!" she exclaimed. Rinoa smiled, and gazed out her window. She saw the ambulances driving by, finally. _What could have delayed them so much?_ Rinoa wondered. _Perhaps whoever was in that accident... they tried to save her, where she was because she didn't have time. And then... _Rinoa forced herself to stop thinking about it. It didn't matter what they did, and she knew she shouldn't think about it because if she did, it would make her upset. She looked over and saw Selphie had already changed. Selphie jumped up, her fist in the air.

"Let's get this sleep over started!"

**A/N:** Well, there's the chapter. Yes, when Rinoa talks about her mother and thinks too much on her death, for the moment it causes her to have dizzy spells because she's horribly traumatized by the events. She won't always pass out, but I will mention the dizziness frequently if she is having another moment that somehow involves mentioning her mother. Anyways, I hope that was a bit better, a little more descriptive, and that it didn't seem rushed or anything. If it did, I just know I have to work harder next time. R & R, I look forward to seeing how you all liked this chapter.


	5. Sleep Over Part 2

**A/N:** Whoa, how many times have I updated this story today? Let's see... this is the fifth chapter— I did two chapters the first night, so this will be my third time updating today— for some reason, it feels like more. Hmm lets see, Death of a Beloved Mother, Moving to Balamb, Summertime Blues, Sleep Over Part 1... nope, this is only five. Ah, well. Hope you enjoy. Keep in mind; I'm working on this chapter BEFORE reading any reviews regarding the last chapter, so I might not have anything changed in here from last time, because I don't know what you think yet. Anyways, R & R. I love sleep overs personally, so that's why I put it in parts since this will also be a bonding session between Rinoa and Selphie— I realize it seems like their good friends already since I rushed head-straight into this at first, but I figured they could use a little bonding session regardless of that, so here it is.

**Notice:** Whenever I'm sleeping over at a friend's house, we usually share the same bed since we're best friends and don't really care. I mean, it's the whole "We're both mature, and we're both girls, so who cares?" thing. I know its probably me rushing things again, but it will be the same with Rinoa and Selphie. Hopefully, you guys won't mind so much. Mostly its because Selphie is scared, though, to sleep on her own.

**Disclaimer:** Same thing I've said for Chapter one, two, three, and four. _Not _mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Five: Sleep Over Part 2

After the two girls had watched a really funny movie, they decided to go to Rinoa's room and do one of the oldest, most fun sleep over traditions— tell scary, and not so scary, stories. Rinoa had made popcorn and was eating it as Selphie began her story. The lights in Rinoa's room were off, and the door was open— Selphie said she didn't get so scared that way. Selphie shined the flashlight up to her face and began her terrifying tale...

"And so," Selphie replied, at the end of her story, "the babysitter asked, "who are you?" in a hushed whisper. And the hooded figure that had slain the children she was babysitting replied, "I'm... _you!"_ Selphie shouted dramatically. Rinoa threw popcorn at her.

"Boo! That didn't even make sense, Selph. I mean, really, it just... ended." Rinoa replied. Selphie crossed her arms.

"Fine, you do better then." she replied, sticking her tongue out. Rinoa stood up and walked over to her window. She looked out at the house next door (A/N: Not the Dincht's, on the other side).

"Have you ever heard the story about the house next door?" Rinoa asked quietly. She grabbed the flashlight from Selphie, who shook her head.

"Nope." she replied. Rinoa pointed at the abandoned house, that was practically falling apart. It looked out of place in the beautiful neighbourhood, as if it had been dropped there from the sky. It looked like something out of a horror movie.

"Years ago, two people lived there. A man, and his wife. For months, they tried to have a child, but nothing seemed to work. Soon, the wife learned that she could very possibly never have children. Of course, their tests back then weren't as definite as now, so the couple tried anyways." Rinoa ignored Selphie's giggle and continued with her story, moving to the bed and shining the flashlight up to her own face. "Finally, the two were about to give up all hope. They didn't have the money to adopt a child, but a special doctor soon heard of their troubles and came to visit them. He told them, "I have an experimental drug that may very well bless you with one child. If you are willing to go through with this, and use this experimental drug, you will have to come by my office for the treatments." With that, the doctor left, leaving behind his card. The couple argued over whether or not they should go through with it. "This may be our last chance!" the wife had exclaimed. Finally, the husband agreed to go through with the process. The wife went to the doctors office and went through with the treatments. Finally, the couple had what they wished. She learned that she was pregnant with a beautiful baby boy." Rinoa stopped and Selphie glared at her.

"And?" she asked. Rinoa put a finger up to her mouth.

"Shh..." she whispered. "Over here," she added, motioning for Selphie to follow. She lead her over to the window, and pointed at a curtain that was moving. Selphie gasped— what was that? Of course, Rinoa knew that the window was broken and it was just the wind blowing the curtain, but Selphie didn't need to know that.

"Over the next few years, the boy that she had tried so hard to have grew up. Finally, one day, they began noticing strange things. The boy was talking to himself in his room, and there was nobody around. "Its normal," her husband had told her. "Kids that age always have imaginary friends, don't worry about it." So, she didn't. Whenever she heard him talking to himself, she would just smile at him and keep going on about her business. One night, she heard whispers that seemed to be coming from his room. Quietly, she snuck out of bed and went over to his room. She put her ear against the door, and she heard him. First his voice, then another's, deeper and scratchy. "We will kill them soon," the first voice, the voice of the son she loved, had said. The scratchy voice replied in almost a shout, had he not been whispering, "NO! Not soon... now," it replied. Something in the voice sent shivers down the wife's spine. She rushed back to her room, and woke her husband up. She told him what she had heard, and he laughed at her. She wouldn't let him go back to bed until he checked up on their son, so he reluctantly agreed that he'd go see what was going on. When he came back, his face was a sickly white. His mouth opened, as if he were trying to speak, but no sound came out. Then... he fell forward, flat on his face, an axe from the tool shed stabbed into his back. And there, behind him, stood the little boy, an evil grin on his face. He grabbed the axe out of his father's back, and advanced towards her. "No, please don't!" the woman screamed. "I love you, I love you, you're my son!" she shouted. He didn't stop, but instead quickened his pace. He backed her into a corner, and she was forced to fight with him to get the axe back." Selphie gasped, intrigued by Rinoa's story. Rinoa stood up, and backed into the corner, acting out her story as she told it.

"She fought with him, but to her surprise he was stronger than she had intended. She fought, and fought, before finally getting the axe out of his grip. That didn't stop him— he followed her, and she ran. Even though she had the axe, she refused to use it. He was her own son! She reached the bottom of the stairs and was shocked to see the doctor standing there. "You fool!" he yelled at her. "What have you done?" he asked her, seeing the blood on the axe. She looked down and realized what he was thinking, and she dropped the axe. "What have I done?" she repeated. "What have _you_ done?" she asked him. It was then that he told her the little boy she called her son actually had partial DNA of a serial killer that had killed his parents before committing suicide. "You couldn't have children because the only egg you had that would have produced a child had damaged DNA. So I combined DNA, and you were blessed with a child because of it. However, the serial killer instincts overpowered the normal beliefs of a young boy at his age— soon, the two sets of DNA I had combined, split apart into multiple personalities. One, the personality of your little boy. The other... of the Serial Killer. This was never meant to happen," he told her. "Never did I imagine... it wasn't until after I had begun the treatments that I realized the DNA I had combined was that of a serial killer." the woman freaked out. "This is your fault! My husband is DEAD because of you!" she shouted at him. The doctor backed away, seeing that the woman had picked up the axe in a sudden burst of fury. Suddenly, the little boy came up behind her, with a knife, but attacked the doctor instead. Once he was killed..." Rinoa lowered her voice to make a dramatic affect. "The little boy whispered, "Mommy..."

"You're next!" a third voice shouted from the doorway. Both Rinoa and Selphie screamed and Selphie fell off the bed. Rinoa quickly grabbed the flashlight and shined it at the doorway to see a smirking Squall standing there.

"Squall!" she whispered. "You scared us half to death," she scolded. "That wasn't very nice." she added. He shrugged.

"It wasn't supposed to be," he told her. He left the doorway and headed down the stairs. Rinoa put her hand over her heart and felt it beating fast. _Stupid Squall... _she thought angrily. _If he hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been so scared. Oh no, poor Selphie— she looks terrified,_ Rinoa thought. She smiled at Selphie.

"After that story, I suddenly don't want to go to sleep. How about we try to watch another movie? Even if we fall asleep during it, at least it will put our minds off of the scary story," Rinoa added. Selphie nodded, but Rinoa could still see she was scared. "And I'll close the door so Squall doesn't try to scare us again," she added as an afterthought. Besides, she didn't want to wake Nico up— Nico was a pretty heavy sleeper, but she wasn't taking any chances. Walking over to her TV that her father had sent her (he had shipped all of her things, including her DVD player and TV, out to her in Balamb), she held up three movies.

"Your pick," she told Selphie. There was Without a Paddle, Aeon Flux, and a disney movie— High School Musical. Selphie chose High School Musical.

"I haven't seen it yet. Is it any good?" she asked. Rinoa nodded.

"Yeah," she replied. She popped it into the DVD player and started the movie. They had only reached the part when Troy told his basketball team that Gabriella was nothing, just another girl and that the singing meant nothing to him, when both Selphie and Rinoa had fallen asleep.

—

That morning when Rinoa woke up, she saw that Selphie was still asleep. She changed quietly, brushed her teeth and her hair, and headed down the stairs. Nico had left a note on the refrigerator.

_Rinoa and Squall;_

_Laguna had to pull an all-nighter out at the office last nice, so I'm going to go make sure he eats breakfast. He's as bad as you, Squall, when it comes to the most important meal of the day. I should be back later, there's some pancake mix on the counter if you get hungy._

_Be careful if you go out;_

—_Nico _

Rinoa didn't see Squall anywhere, and shrugged. That was probably for the better— she didn't exactly like the thoughts of running into him today after what he had done last night. She couldn't help but smile though, because even though he had been mean to do it, and she had been scared out of her mind, he had showed at least that he was capable of forming words again. He talked so little, that someone who had first met him would believe he was incapable of human speech. _If he talks so little, he must think a lot. I wonder what about?_ Rinoa thought. She decided it was none of her business, anyways, and began making pancakes. She heard someone come up behind her. Assuming it was Selphie, she motioned at the fridge.

"Help yourself," she replied.

"Considering its my house, Heartilly, I do believe I would have done that with or without your permission," Squall replied. Rinoa jumped. She hadn't been expecting Squall, but then she didn't know why. He was always appearing at such random times, almost out of thin air.

"Sorry, I thought you were Selphie." she told him. "Do you want any pancakes?" she asked him.

"Are you making them?" he asked.

"Does it not look like I'm making them?" she asked tiredly. Squall grabbed an apple out of a bowl on the counter.

"In that case, no thanks. I'll skip for now," he added. Rinoa turned and glared at him. She didn't know what was worse, him not talking to her at all, or him being mean to her the way he was now. The worst part was, that it was impossible to tell if he was joking or not, because either way he always sounded so serious.

"Mornin'!" Selphie called as she jumped down from the stairs. "I slept great, I was so sure I'd have nightmares though. Who knew Squall could joke around?" she added. "I've known him since we were little, even then he didn't joke that much. I suppose a little... but still, not a lot. So what's for breakfast?" she asked. She sniffed the air. "Mmm, pancakes! My favourite," she added. Rinoa laughed.

"As much as I'd love to take credit, Nico's the one who made them. She left the mix in the bowl there for us." Rinoa put the pancakes on a plate and placed it on the table. They ate breakfast in silence, before Selphie made a suggestion.

"Hey, do you want to go with us to the pool again today? Only bring your swimsuit," she added. Rinoa smiled.

"Sure! I'd love to." Getting up, she put her plate in the dishwasher. "But I'll have to buy a swimsuit first— I was supposed to before, but I never got around to it. You don't mind tagging along with me, do you?" Rinoa asked. Selphie shook her head.

"Nope! Let's go!"

**A/N:** This chapter ended a little lame there, but I didn't know what to do. Anyways, the next chapter will be the pool, and then after that we'll skip ahead later in the summer. Like right near the end, and then Rinoa will be starting school. Sound good? Don't forget to review! And thanks to someone who already reviewed the last chapter.


	6. Rainy Days

**A/N:** Well here's the next chapter, again. I still haven't read my email— I haven't gone online since I updated that last chapter and my MSN went down, again— NO! lol anyways, I'm going to try really hard to make this chapter good and descriptive, keep the characters the same as they are in the game... well, I'll try. Let me know what you think. BTW, I think the water near Balamb was the sea, wasn't it? I think the hotel owner in Balamb said that once or something... in this chapter, I'll say it's the sea and if its not I'll just say it's the ocean or whatever after that.

**Disclaimer:** Again? Not mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Six: Rainy Days

After writing a note for Nico and Laguna telling them where she went, Rinoa grabbed her coat and had just begun to put her shoes on when the phone rang. Frowning, Rinoa walked into the living room with only one shoe on and picked it up.

"Hello?" she replied. She heard a little boys voice on the phone.

"Rinoa! Rinoa! Guess what!" Rinoa laughed.

"How did you know it was me, Sammy?" she asked.

"I didn't." he told her. "But guess what!" he said excitedly again. Rinoa curled the phone wire around her finger.

"What?" she asked.

"We're all coming over for dinner tomorrow night, isn't that great?" he shouted. Rinoa had to move the phone away from her ear to prevent herself from going deaf. _They... they're coming for dinner? But... I don't want Gabriella and Katie here... they'll find a way to embarrass me, even if I'm not living with them anymore. They aren't coming to get me... are they?_ Rinoa wondered. She tried to insert happiness in her voice so Sammy wouldn't ask her why she was sad.

"That's _awesome,_ Sammy. I guess you'll get to see that picture you drew on my wall then," she added. She could almost picture Sammy, standing on a stool so he was tall enough to reach the phone. He had probably gotten the babysitter to help dial the number, since everyone would be gone by then.

"Really? It's on your wall?" the boy asked.

"It is," Rinoa confirmed. She could hear the babysitter in the background telling him to stop jumping up and down, because he was going to fall off the stool. Yeah, Rinoa had been right— he was standing on a stool to reach the phone.

"I have to go now... bye!" he hung up before Rinoa had a chance to say anything. She hung up the phone and wondered if they were just coming over for dinner to visit, or if they wanted to discuss bringing her back. _I wonder if Gabriella has convinced dad to bring me home. Or Katie... but... I don't want to. I won't! _Rinoa thought defiantly. She decided she wouldn't think about it, because if she focused on it too much it would ruin her day. Selphie came bouncing in with Rinoa's other shoe.

"Come on, let's go!" she replied enthusiastically. Rinoa sat on the floor and put her shoe on, then stood up. "Who was that, anyways? You sounded happy," Selphie told her. They walked outside and Rinoa nodded.

"Yeah, I was. It was my little brother, Sammy. I guess my family back in Deling is coming tomorrow to have dinner," Rinoa added. "I wish they wouldn't..." she muttered to herself. Selphie looked at her confused.

"What did you say?" she asked. Rinoa shook her head and smiled.

"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself." Rinoa told her. Selphie shrugged and started skipping. She stopped and turned around when she heard Rinoa laughing.

"Just what is so funny?" she asked her, putting her hands on her hips. Rinoa began to laugh even harder and had to hold her stomach.

"You! Are you always this... bouncy? Or is there something else going on?" she asked. Selphie blushed.

"I... I'm always this bouncy," she told her finally. She tried to look away, but Rinoa saw the blush and ran up to her.

"Are you... _blushing?"_ Rinoa asked. Selphie shook her head frantically, but her face turned even brighter. "Who's going to be at the pool?" Rinoa asked her finally. Selphie stopped walking.

"What makes you think that's got anything to do with this?" she asked. Rinoa shrugged.

"I don't know, you seemed pretty excited earlier about going." Rinoa walked on ahead but stopped when she saw a pet store. They had just reached downtown Balamb, and there was the most adorable display of puppies in the window.

"Aww! Look at them, aren't they adorable?" Rinoa asked. Selphie nodded, and the two of them watched the puppies play fight for awhile. Finally, Rinoa started to walk across the street towards a store. Selphie ran up to her.

"Where are you going now?" she asked. Rinoa pointed at the store.

"Shopping... might as well get a bathing suit now. Hey, do you ever swim over there?" Rinoa asked, indicating the beach. Selphie shook her head.

"Nope... there's... _dirt _there!" she added. "I mean it goes in between your toes... gets your feet dirty..."

"Exactly." Rinoa replied. "That's half the fun. Okay, now help me pick out a bathing suit." Rinoa added. They had reached the back of the store, where there were billions of swimsuits for guys and girls sitting out. It must have been their summer selection, because everything around it was bright and colourful. Rinoa sighed. She loved summer... it was her favourite season. The warm weather, the bright colours... and now, the smell of the sea.

"What about this one?" Selphie asked, holding up a bright yellow bikini. Rinoa shook her head.

"I think yellow's more your colour, Selphie" Rinoa looked around, but couldn't seem to find anything that she liked. She had just decided to leave and try another store, when she saw a light blue bikini. When the light hit it, it seemed to reflect it and break it up into millions of different shades of blue. Rinoa liked how it changed colours a certain way the light hit it, even though she knew that wouldn't really matter when she actually went swimming. She went up to the desk and paid for it. Rinoa then noticed that even though Selphie had suggested they go to the pool, she wasn't carrying a bag or anything to have her swimsuit in.

"Where's your swimsuit?" she asked. Selphie reached at her shoulder and pulled up a yellow strap.

"I'm wearing it," she told her. Rinoa laughed.

"I told you yellow was more your colour," she replied. She saw the indoor pool just a few feet away, but she also noticed a large crowd that was gathering at the restaurant. "What's going on there?" Rinoa asked. Selphie stood on her tiptoes, attempting to see past the crowd. Of course, Selphie was shorter than Rinoa and couldn't see either.

"Not sure. Let's go see," Selphie added. She began running towards the crowd and Rinoa ran not far behind her. When they reached it, they pushed past a few people and they were able to see Zell and some other guy inside the restaurant. Zell was shoving hot dogs in his mouth left right and center. Rinoa turned away and pretended to throw up.

"That's disgusting," she replied finally. "I mean... what are they doing?" Rinoa asked. Selphie dragged Rinoa away and into the indoor pool.

"Trying to eat more than the other. Its something Zell does often, especially if it involves hot dogs. Or pizza... that's why he works at a pizza place, so he can be around it all the time. At least, that's what I think. The change rooms are over there," Selphie pointed at the side of the pool. "Let's meet back here." Rinoa nodded and they both headed into separate parts of the change room. When they came out, another crowd had emerged.

"Now what?" Rinoa asked. Selphie pointed up at the diving board, so Rinoa looked. _That guy looks familiar... hey, I think he was that guy... Irvine! The one that Zell was delivering pizza with._ "Isn't that Irvine?" Rinoa asked. Selphie looked at her, shocked.

"You know him too?" she asked.

"Well, not really. He works with Zell, right? They delivered pizza at my house last night. What's the big deal?" Rinoa asked. Selphie looked at the ground a moment before replying.

"You mean, with the crowd?" she asked. Rinoa could detect a hint of hope in her voice. _I wonder if he's the reason she couldn't wait to get to the pool?_ Rinoa thought. Deciding not to push the subject, she nodded.

"Yeah, why did they gather around the pool like that?" Rinoa asked. Selphie grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to the pool.

"Usually, he does the best flips and stuff when diving into the pool. This must be his first time today, usually after that nobody gathers like this." Selphie added. They watched as Irvine jumped on the diving board, bounced into the air and flipped in the air as he dove into the water.

"Wouldn't that bother him?" Rinoa asked. She was surprised to see the crowd applauding, and Irvine just took it all in. _Talk about arrogant!_ Rinoa thought. _He's just soaking it all in... and Selphie's looking at him like he's God or something._ Rinoa shook her head, disbelievingly. "Guess not," she replied, answering her own question. Selphie got defensive.

"He doesn't want the whole crowd watching him!" she replied angrily. "They just do, and he can't exactly say, "Everybody turn around please," to them." Rinoa was shocked at the anger coming out of Selphie. _Just how much does she like him? I've never seen anyone get that defensive. _

"Whoa, cool down, I didn't say he wanted the crowd watching him, I just asked if it bothered him. If he can do just fine with them watching, then I guess it doesn't bother him." Lies. She didn't mean that at all. But she didn't have to tell Selphie that— she'd only get more defensive.

"Oh, okay then!" Selphie replied, immediately cheered up. Rinoa sighed with relief, but still couldn't believe how gullible her new friend was. Had she really believed that?

"I'm going to go swimming, now that the crowd has cleared," Rinoa replied after awhile. Selphie nodded. She was sitting on a beach chair reading a magazine. Rinoa went on the smaller diving board and jumped into the water. After she swam for a little while, the sound of thunder echoed off the indoor pools walls. Rinoa stared up at the ceiling, which was actually just a large window to allow the sun to shine in, and saw that it had begun to rain. _Great... and me without an umbrella._ She thought. She got out of the pool and sat down on the beach chair next to Selphie.

"It's raining," she informed her. "I think we're going to have a storm," As she said that, lightning flashed across the sky and there was a loud booming sound of thunder. Selphie jumped and then frowned.

"I hate storms..." she muttered. "We better go. I wouldn't even worry about drying off," she added. "You'll only get wet again, neither of us brought out umbrella." They went into the change room, and they were just about to brace themselves for the pouring rain when a voice called them.

"Hey, ladies." They both turned around to see a grinning Irvine standing there. He walked up to them. "You don't want to walk out in that rain, you'll get sick. And then what pretty faces will I get to see around here?" Irvine asked. Selphie giggled, and Rinoa just looked down at her feet. She wasn't accustomed to Irvine, and definitely not accustomed to his personality when it came to women.

"Only if Rinoa doesn't mind," Selphie replied finally, after she had stopped giggling. Irvine glanced over at Rinoa.

"You don't mind, do you?" he asked her. Rinoa thought for a moment. _I really don't know him that well... I'll just make up some excuse not to go, and tell Selphie to go on. That way, she can have time alone with him too, since she seems to like him so much. _Rinoa smiled.

"No, I don't, but I actually have to go meet my guardian, she'll be..." Rinoa looked around and saw the restaurant. "She'll be meeting me over at that restaurant for lunch. You guys go on ahead, I'll talk to you later." Rinoa waved as Selphie got in the car, and breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she didn't trust Irvine... he seemed more than nice enough. It was just, she was a little more... careful, when it came to vehicles. And who could blame her? After being traumatized from a car accident, regardless of whose fault it was, she was bound to be. Rinoa looked at her watch. It was already getting close to lunch time, so she figured she'd actually go to the restaurant for real and eat something. _Maybe, _Rinoa thought, _it will stop raining by the time I'm done. If not, I guess I'm walking in the rain. _

Rinoa sat down at one of the tables and looked at the menu. Someone had circled hotdogs— Rinoa wondered if it had been Zell. She had just earlier witnessed how much he loved them. She was sure that after his eating contest with the other guy, the place was probably all out of that. And that didn't bother her one bit— when she was little, she used to love hot dogs, but she had just... grown out of liking it. _That's not really the word for it..._ Rinoa thought. _I just don't care for them, I guess. Hmm... I had pizza last night, SO... I don't think that's what I'll get._ Rinoa finally decided to just get some fries and a hamburger, when she saw Squall walking outside in the rain. _That's odd... _she thought. _He looks... different. Tense? Worried? Usually he just looks grumpy._ Rinoa couldn't help but laugh at that, but she really was curious. Just then, the waitress came up to her and noticed that Rinoa was staring out the window at Squall.

"He's cute, but I wouldn't bother if I were you," she replied. Rinoa jumped, and realized the waitress, who appeared to be around the same age, had saw she was staring at Squall.

"Oh, it's not like that..." Rinoa replied. "I just— I know him, and I wasn't expecting to see him, that's all." Rinoa replied. The waitress rolled her eyes.

"Sure, whatever." she replied. "So what were you looking to order?" she asked.

"I'm serious," she told the waitress. "And just a hamburger and fries, thanks. Oh, and iced tea. Thanks." Rinoa handed the waitress her menu, and looked back out the window. Squall was no longer standing outside.

—

Squall saw Rinoa turn away from watching him in the restaurant, and shook his head. Why did she have to move there at all? Now his stepmother was just telling him to be nicer to her, talk to her, blah, blah, blah, everything he didn't want to do.

"_Knock, knock. Can I come in?" Nico asked. Squall got up and shut off his music._

"_Do I have a choice?" he asked her. She smiled and sat down on his chair at his desk._

"_Yes, Squall, you have a choice. If you really don't want me here, I'll go." she told him. _

"_I... well... you're already here," he said lamely. "So what did you want?" he asked. Nico didn't say anything for awhile— Squall could easily tell that she was beating around the bush. "Well?" he asked her. _

"_Squall, I know you didn't want Rinoa to come here." she started carefully. _

"_There's an understatement." he told her. _

"_But... well, why not? It's nice to have someone in the house actually willing to talk about their day, someone who just... well... talks," Nico told him. Squall sat up._

"_I talk." he replied._

"_Two or three words doesn't count, Squall. And how many times do you go out, and I never hear where your going or if you had fun, none of that. I trust you and so does your father, but would it kill you to tell us these things every now and then anyways?" Nico asked. Squall lied back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, silent. Nico continued. "That isn't the point, anyways. Squall... I know you don't want Rinoa here, but she is. You're going to have to get used to it. Would it... would it kill you to try to be nice to her? Even when she was unconscious, I bet you just stood there and waited for her to wake up, or for me to come, didn't you?" Nico asked. _

"_So what if I did?" he asked her. "Is there something wrong with that?"_

"_No, but Squall... I know you can be nicer to her. I'm sure she feels like an outsider here, and its not easy for her either. She's left behind her whole life, and she comes here and there's you..."_

"_Fine. Is that all?" Squall asked. Nico sighed._

"_Yes." she replied. _

Why did he have to be nice to her? Why did he even have to acknowledge she existed? Heh, be nice to her? He had shown her where the teens their age hung out, hadn't he? That counted as being nicer. His mother didn't know what she was talking about. Squall glanced back at the restaurant and saw Rinoa staring at the table. As if she felt someone's gaze on her, she looked up and they made eye contact. Squall quickly looked away and continued walking. Rain or not, he didn't need Rinoa getting the wrong idea.

**A/N:** Wow, I'm really glad you guys liked those last two chapters before this so much. To be honest, I was worried about them. They were kind of something I thought was necessary to get out of the way, and I didn't think they were that great myself, but since you all liked it, maybe I was just being my own worst critique, as usual. I think most people are like that... but I could be wrong. Here's a nice, decent sized chapter for you, hope you enjoy! R & R.


	7. Dinner With The Family

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter— in case you guys can't tell, I really, REALLY like this story. I love the game, and I love working on this particular story. I mean, I have seven that I'm working on, and other than Secrets Can Be Deadly, which I updated a second chapter for this weekend (well it was chapter 15, but I did two chapters this weekend for it) I've basically only updated this one more than once. So, you guys should be pretty lucky, since I'm updating so frequently. Plus I might even attempt, MIGHT, keep that in mind, doing this at school during the week as well, like at lunch time since an hour should be good to get a lot done, and I'll still get a few chapters maybe. That is, if I can even get a computer— its MADNESS at my school! Anyways, R&R.

**Disclaimer:** Well, as usual Final Fantasy VIII isn't mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Seven: Dinner With The Family

Rinoa, unfortunately, didn't get very lucky. Even after she had already ate her lunch, and sat in the restaurant a little longer sipping back iced tea, the rain still didn't let out. She sighed, and decided she might as well get it over with. She began walking outside, and was just about to cross the street when a car came to a complete stop in front of her. The window rolled down, and Rinoa saw Nico's face.

"Get in, you'll catch a cold if you stay out here in the rain," she replied. Rinoa nodded and sat in the back seat. Laguna was driving and he smiled at her through the rearview mirror.

"I heard you had a friend over last night. I'm glad to see your making friends quickly. It will make the summer much more enjoyable for you." he added. Rinoa nodded and gazed out the window. She had caught Squall looking at her, or at least that was the way it had seemed. She wondered what he had been thinking... _probably that I'm an idiot. Or something along those lines. _Rinoa couldn't help but laugh a little. She didn't even know Squall that much, but already she had pretty much figured out what he thought about her. Possibly, what he thought of everyone.

"Oh, yeah, did you know that my dad and everyone else is coming to dinner tomorrow?" Rinoa asked suddenly.

"I did, but how did you know?" Nico asked. "Laguna wasn't home all night, and I never told you."

"Oh, well my little brother Sammy called. The baby-sitter helped him dial the number," Rinoa added. "He sounded really excited."

"Funny, you don't." Nico commented. Rinoa looked out the window.

"I am... well, maybe not as much. But I am, I just... I don't know," Rinoa replied finally. That was another lie, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately. But she couldn't tell them that she hated her stepmother and her stepsister. Or that until recently, she had almost hated her father. Now... well, she'd just have to wait and see.

Rinoa had been off in her own little world, thinking about how dinner would go the next night, and hadn't even noticed that they had pulled into the driveway of their house. She took off her seatbelt, and looked over at the house next door that had been in her story. She laughed, remembering how terrified Selphie had been. Rinoa was curious though just why the house next door wasn't occupied. It looked so run-down now that there had probably not been anyone there for years.

"Hey, Laguna?" Rinoa asked suddenly. Laguna turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Who lives in that house over there?" she asked. Laguna looked at the house she was pointing at and shrugged.

"Nobody, as far as I know. I don't think anyone has, not since Old Man Leo lived there at least," Laguna added, chuckling.

"What's so funny about... Old Man Leo?" Rinoa asked. She walked inside quickly, because it had began to rain even harder.

"Well, he was quite the character. Of course, I've only heard stories— he died before I ever moved here, and I've been here quite some time. He was... eccentric. Very bizarre— he had at least ten cats, and he talked to them like they were people. He'd be talking to someone outside and all of a sudden you'd here, "What's that, Fluffy? Tinkers got sick on the floor again? Alright, I'll be right there."" Rinoa giggled at that. He certainly had... well, strange... cat names.

"So anyway," Laguna continued, "He died of an unknown cause. The cats took over the place, refused to leave, and whenever someone came to take them away, that person ended up badly scratched. So the house was never sold, and over the years it just became to badly run down for repairs. Nobody ever showed any interest in it. Why are you so interested in it all of a sudden?" Laguna asked. Rinoa shrugged.

"No reason, I just used it in a scary story to scare Selphie— that's my friend that I had over," Rinoa added, seeing Laguna's confused expression. "And I was curious about it. It does look really run-down. I'm going to go in my room," Rinoa added. "So I'll be there if you need me." She walked into her room and fell on the bed. Already, she loved it here more than back in Deling. _It's not that its Deling I didn't like... it was the people there. And Laguna and Nico have been so nice to me. Squall— well, he's just... himself. And Selphie has been a lot of fun. And even though I don't know them well, Quistis, Zell, and Irvine seem nice too._ Rinoa looked out the window, and saw Squall running near the house, caught in the rain. She laughed and then saw a note on her desk. She walked over to it, confused. Who had wrote it? She looked at it, but saw nothing on it, on either side. _Huh... that's strange. _She thought. She tossed it into the wastebasket.

—

The next day, it was still raining hard out. Rinoa was a little nervous, because she knew that later on her family would be over for dinner. She had tried watching TV but found that during the day there wasn't much on, so she decided to go into her room and read for awhile. She became caught up in her book, and so was startled by Squall when he knocked on her door.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Nico told me to tell you to go downstairs and have some lunch," Squall replied. Rinoa opened her mouth to say something, but Squall had already left. _Fine, see if I care._ Rinoa thought. _Who'd want to talk to you anyways, it's like talking to a brick wall. _She walked down the stairs and saw Nico was rushing around, grabbing her car keys and her purse.

"What's wrong?" Rinoa asked. Nico looked up and smiled briefly, but seemed to be looking for something she couldn't find.

"Oh... I have to go shopping, and after that I'm supposed to meet a client." Nico replied absentmindedly. She was a homemaker, and decorated people's homes for them. She often had to meet with them to discuss what in Rinoa's opinion was boring— _paint._

"Oh, alright then." Rinoa replied. She sat down at the table and saw that Nico had made them homemade soup. _Probably because she thinks its good for us, after being out in the rain yesterday._

"Do you need anything?" Nico asked. Rinoa shook her head and smiled. "Well, I'll be back later, and Laguna is coming home a little early tonight because of our guests." she added. Rinoa looked down at her soup. She had been trying to forget that her dad, stepmother, and stepsister were coming. It was something she had been dreading, despite the fact that she would get to see Sammy, since she had learned they were coming. Nico rushed out the door, and jumped into her car as soon as the door had been opened so she wouldn't get terribly wet. Rinoa was just getting up to get something cold to drink when, surprisingly enough, Squall came down the stairs and sat across from where she had just been to eat.

"Do you want anything to drink?" she asked him.

"I... no, thanks." Squall corrected himself. He began eating his soup in silence, and Rinoa smiled. _Hey, an actual "thanks". There's something new. Maybe I should keep a log on these things, see how long it takes him to get used to the fact that I'm around. _Rinoa sat back down at the table and the two ate in silence. Rinoa, who had grown uncomfortable in silence unless she was alone, squirmed in her seat.

"So... uh— did you get stuck in the rain last night?" Rinoa asked. _Talk about lame, I SAW him get stuck in the rain. Well... he doesn't know that. _

"Yeah." _Why do you want to know?_ Squall thought. _It's really none of your business, is it?_

"Oh... well... what do you usually do when it rains like this?" Rinoa tried again. _Come on, at least try to be good conversation. _Rinoa thought. Squall finished his soup and took it out to the kitchen. Rinoa was soon done after him and went into the kitchen to put her bowl in the sink. There, she saw Squall beginning to wash the dishes. She dropped her bowl in the sink and stood there.

"I'll do them," she replied.

"That's okay." he said. He began washing the dishes, but Rinoa grabbed the cloth away from him.

"No, seriously. I'll do them— go watch TV or something." Squall grabbed the cloth back.

"_No, seriously,_" he replied, mimicking her, "That's okay." Rinoa threw her hands up in the air, giving up.

"Fine!" she told him. "You do the dishes, and I'll relax in the living room." _Honestly, why didn't he just let me do them? Is he like obsessed with dishes or something?_ Rinoa thought. Personally, she was beginning to think that Squall was a little more than crazy, but she decided not to focus on that. After all, was it really any of her business? Frankly, she knew they were two completely different people, and it was only because they were forced to that they lived under the same roof. _And as for that waitress!_ Rinoa thought, beginning to get a little angry. _Yesterday, I look out the window and immediately she assumes I'm looking at HIM. I mean, who would do that? And... whoa, Rinoa, calm down._ She told herself. She was getting all worked up, just because Squall had decided to do the dishes. _This isn't like you... who cares about the waitress? She's just someone your age, and if she thinks Squall is so— cute, then she'll obviously think everyone's looking at him if he's nearby._

After Rinoa had just picked out a movie to watch, Squall entered the room. She looked up and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Your mean." she informed him. She put the movie in the VCR, and sat back on the couch. He was staring at her. "What?" she asked.

"Did you seriously just stick your tongue out at me?" he asked her suddenly. She did it again.

"So what if I did?" she asked, after putting her tongue back. Squall rolled his eyes and began to walk up the stairs. "Hey! You could at least _try _to be a little— talkative. Or say more than a few words once every blue moon." she called at him. He ignored her and began walking up the stairs.

"Fine! Ignore me, I'll just enjoy this movie by myself while you stay up there and do absolutely nothing for the next few hours." she called again. Silence. Sighing, Rinoa started the movie. If he was going to be that way, she'd ignore him too and just enjoy herself. A few minutes into the movie, and she forgot all thoughts of Squall.

—

Things that night were hectic. Nico was running around, cooking and watching everything on the stove at the same time. Laguna had just gotten home from work and was going upstairs to shower and change. Squall and Rinoa were the only ones without anything to do, but Squall had decided again not to have anything to do with Rinoa, and went upstairs into his room. The rain had finally stopped, but it was still dreary outside and looked like it would start back up any second. Rinoa looked at her watch, and saw that they would be there probably in a few minutes. She grabbed a magazine and went outside, sitting on the nice dry little porch and waited for them.

"Hey, Rinoa!" someone called. She looked up from the quiz she had been doing, and saw Zell.

"Hey, Zell." she called back. "What's up?" she asked. He came over to her and leaned against a post.

"Nothing, I have to go pick up something for my mom. What are you doing outside, and reading? It's not exactly nice out." he pointed out. Rinoa put the magazine down and sighed.

"Thanks, I wasn't aware of the fact." she replied, tiredly. She was already getting in a worse and worse mood because the time for her family to come was fast approaching. "Sorry," she added quickly. "I'm waiting for my family... they're coming over for dinner tonight."

"All the way from... where did you come from again?" Zell asked.

"Deling City."

"All the way from Deling? That's a long way, just for dinner. Are they staying?" Zell asked. Rinoa's eyes shot up.

"I hope not! I mean... it's just, my stepsister can be a little annoying— you know, staying up late, brushing her hair, and I'd probably have to share a room with her..." Rinoa faked a laugh, and it seemed to fool Zell. She had slipped up again. Zell shrugged.

"Well, they could always stay at the hotel, a lot of people do that. It's pretty nice there, too. Anyways, I better go. See ya," he replied. Rinoa sighed with relief. Just as she had finished checking her answers for the quiz, a familiar car pulled into the driveway— the one she had left at the train station. _Oh boy... _Rinoa thought, as she saw her father get out of the car. _This is going to be a long night... better get it over with, _she added to herself. She got up and waved to her dad. She ignored her stepmother and stepsister completely, and walked into the house. It was then that she remembered Sammy. _Oh! I forgot he would be coming too! _Rinoa turned around and knelt down as Sammy ran over to her and hugged her. She lifted him up and carried him into the house. Already, it had began to rain again.

"Nico?" she called. The kind-hearted woman turned around and smiled.

"Yes, Rinoa?" she asked. She then saw that their guests had arrived. "Oh! Hi, I'm Nico, Laguna's just upstairs getting changed. And... Squall's here somewhere," Nico replied, looking around.

"He's in his room again." Rinoa offered.

"Oh, that's great, could you go get him for me please?" she asked. _What? NO I can't go get him, are you insane? I won't._ Rinoa thought. She smiled.

"Sure." _What happened to the "I can't get him, I won't"? _Rinoa asked herself. Sighing, she told Sammy to stay with mommy and daddy (she nearly gagged when she was forced to say "mommy") and made her way up the stairs and over to Squall's room. He was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling and had his music on. Rinoa knocked.

"Nico asked me to go get you," she replied when Squall looked over at her. "I--- so…" Rinoa just stopped talking and turned to leave. Squall got up and followed close behind her. He looked at her confused when she stopped at the top of the stairs and sighed before continuing, but he didn't say anything--- _it's none of my business, _Squall told himself. Rinoa walked over and went into the kitchen to help Nico--- _anything _to get away from the others. Sammy looked at her sad, to see her walking away, so she mouthed, _I'm just going to help out with dinner, its okay._

"Ah, Squall, there you are," Nico called out. She wiped her hands on her apron and smiled.

"This is my stepson, Laguna and Raine's boy, Squall. Squall, this is Rinoa's father," Squall, trying to be polite but really wishing he could be anywhere else, shook General Caraway's hand. "This is her stepmother, Gabriella, and her stepsister Katie," Squall just nodded. "And this little gentlemen here," she added, smiling at Sammy, "is Rinoa's little brother Sammy. Aww, isn't he just the sweetest little boy you've ever seen?" she asked. Squall just nodded and looked up the stairs as his father came down. Laguna shook Rinoa's father's hand.

"Long time, no see. The last time I saw you I believe was just before… well, before the accident." Laguna replied sadly. Rinoa felt the dizzy sensation again, but she focused immediately on something else, _anything _else, to stop it. Usually, for a regular dinner, they would eat in the kitchen at the table in there, but if they had another family or guests in general over, or if it was a holiday, Rinoa had learned from Nico that they had ate in the dining room. Rinoa took some dishes with her and opened the door to the dining room and began setting the table. She had just come back from her second trip to the kitchen, this time with the silverware, when Squall came into the dining room, looking very disturbed.

"What's got into you?" she asked him absentmindedly. He didn't reply, but instead sat at the table. "Fine," she replied tiredly. If he didn't want to tell her, he didn't have to.

"When are they leaving?" Squall asked finally. Rinoa burst out laughing, and he stared at her confused. "What's so funny?" he asked. Rinoa held her sides and had to sit down so she wouldn't collapse from laughter.

"Nothing, but it looks like you and I have something in common after all. As for when they're leaving, I have no idea, but hopefully soon." Rinoa replied softly. Squall looked up at her.

"Their _your _family," he pointed out. "Why would you want them to leave?" he asked. _Why does it matter? _He asked himself.

"Same reason I'm assuming you do--- because they drive me insane. Besides, there's… there's a bit of history that I guess still bothers me. Sammy's the only one I really always get along with, and... well, he's only five. It's hard to not get along with a five-year old. Hey, I think we just had almost an actual conversation." Rinoa added. Squall didn't smile.

"Sure, whatever." He replied. Rinoa frowned.

"Are you always like this? Or do you just really not like me?" Rinoa asked him. This time he did force a very tiny smile.

"Probably both." He replied. He got up and left the dining room, to help Rinoa set the table by grabbing the food and bringing it out.

"I don't like you either," she informed him when they met at the dining room again. "So I guess we're even." Squall shrugged, basically telling her that it didn't bother him.

"Whatever." He left again, this time to tell everyone (they had been sitting in the living room, waiting) that the table was all set. Rinoa glared at his back. _He is so… ugh! _She felt like shouting at him one minute, to tell him to at least try to talk a little more. Then she just wanted to not even bother because it wasn't her business. Everyone came into the dining room, and Laguna looked at Nico appreciatively after seeing the meal she had prepared.

"At least I married someone who can cook," he joked. "Since I know for a fact that I'd have burnt everything on that table, including the bread." The adults laughed, and Rinoa just sat down. She noticed Katie kept throwing glances over at Squall and then glaring at Rinoa, who was, in all honesty, quite confused as to why. After all, she had done her best to avoid Katie the entire night. Sammy had been in the middle of shoving a pea up his nose but was forced to stop when Gabriella scolded him.

"So, Rinoa, how have you been enjoying your stay here so far?" Rinoa's father asked. Rinoa hadn't been expecting any questions directed at her, although she should have known better. She hadn't really expected to go all through dinner without talking.

"Oh, it's been fun." Rinoa replied carefully. She had no idea what her father had been expecting her to say, but she was going to keep it as brief as possible. She felt like laughing when she saw Sammy sticking his tongue out at Gabriella when she wasn't looking. He began to shove a pea up his nose again, but noticing Rinoa shaking her head, he shoved it in his mouth and ate it instead. He gave Rinoa a big smile, and she shook her head, smiling.

"Oh… that's nice." He replied. He kept glancing over at Squall, who was sitting next to Rinoa. Rinoa noticed his glance in Squall's direction and frowned. _Why does he keep looking at Squall? Ugh, I don't even want to know what he's thinking. _

"Yeah, her name is Selphie," Rinoa added loudly. Her father smiled.

"That is nice, Rinoa. So, tell me, Squall," her father directed at Squall. Squall looked up, frowning.

"Tell you what, _sir?" _Squall asked. For some reason, he didn't like Rinoa's father. He couldn't quite tell why, because so far he had done nothing to make Squall not want to like him. There was just something about her father that bothered him. _When Rinoa's friend called... she asked for Rinoa Heartilly. But if General Caraway is her father... then shouldn't that be her last name?_ The General, after Squall had spoken, forced on a smile and Rinoa tried not to laugh. She knew her father wasn't used to being spoken to like that, and even though she barely knew Squall, she was sure that he didn't normally address any adult that way. _Maybe there's more to him... _she thought.

"Er, tell me, how is the school here? You'd know better than anyone, right? Any... troublemakers?" he asked. _Oh no! Please tell him no, Squall, if he hears that there are troublemakers here, he'll take me back home! That must be why he came to dinner tonight... _Rinoa thought sadly. _It... it wasn't to see me. It was to see how things were here, so he'd have an excuse to take me back home. I thought... I thought he really understood what I thought, and what I was going through. I guess I was wrong. I won't go— I won't! _Rinoa thought defiantly. She looked at Squall, begging him silently to say the right thing.

Squall, meanwhile, wasn't stupid. He could see Rinoa was silently begging him, and he could tell that for some reason, the General, who had been the one who sent Rinoa to Balamb in the first place (according to Laguna, who had tried to tell Squall it would be like having a sister around all the time, as Ellone was away at college), seemed to be fishing for reasons to remove her. _I should tell him the place is horrible— then she'll be gone, but... _Squall sighed silently. _I can't do that to her— I might not like her, _he added to himself quickly, as if he needed to convince the evil voice that was lurking in his head of this fact, _but I couldn't send even my worst enemy to live with those two women... I've barely known them, and I'm going insane. And if that younger one, Sadie, whatever her name is, looks at me one more time... _Squall knew what he was going to do. _She'll owe me._

"Troublemakers? No sir, most certainly not. Balamb's a nice, quiet town, and there's rarely any trouble." Squall replied. Rinoa sighed with relief, and even though she figured Squall would slam the door in her face, she'd have to thank him later. She had noticed him glance at her, and so she was sure he knew that what he said was what her father wanted to hear. _I mean, what town has NO troublemakers, whatsoever? I guess Squall can be nice... _Rinoa thought to herself, smiling just a little. She quickly got rid of the smile and resumed eating her dinner.

"Oh... that's... that's excellent, thank you. So, uh, Laguna, tell me..." the rest of the conversation, all the teenagers tuned out of. It wasn't really anything of interest to them. Rinoa glanced up and saw that Katie was still staring at Squall, and then glaring at Rinoa. It was driving her insane!

"So Katie," Rinoa replied, trying to make her stop staring at Squall. Not that she cared... it was just that Katie would glare at her every time she stared at Squall. "How's your summer been?" Rinoa's stepsister Katie seemed stunned to actually be spoken to by Rinoa. _There's no way she'd forgive me, I've done to much to her. She deserved it, too. Everyone knows that I'm way prettier than she is, and so it just wasn't right that she was more popular. She had to be stopped. _Katie thought.

"Oh, it's been _great, _lots of cute guys," she added. She glanced at Squall as she said this, but he wasn't paying attention and was in fact eating again. Katie didn't seem discouraged; instead, she turned her eyes over to Squall, and began fluttering her eyelashes. Rinoa choked in her drink, and Laguna had to pat her on the back until she stopped. Squall glanced at her, appearing amused, and that only made Katie more furious.

"So... your names Squall? Doesn't that mean, like, a loud cry?" She asked. Rinoa rolled her eyes.

"Actually, the meaning I prefer is "a sudden violent gust of wind or localized storm"" Laguna cut in. "Although I still don't know why Raine named him that." Laguna was then turning back to the adults to continue their discussion. Katie seemed very angry that she still had not had an opportunity to talk to Squall.

Finally, dinner was over, and after the adults talked in the living room awhile (Rinoa had been forced to show Katie her room, but Squall, lucky for him, had escaped to his own room before Katie could attempt to talk to him again), Rinoa's family was leaving.

"Oh, wait, I promised that I would show Sammy something before you left." She held Sammy's hand and walked with him up the stairs. After all, she had promised Sammy to show him his picture on her wall. She had put up a bulletin board so she could use tacks, since Nico didn't want tack holes in the wall, and tape might take off the paint.

"See?" Rinoa told him. "There's your picture, and I even put it inside a big, red heart because I love you so much." Rinoa added. Sammy hugged her at her legs and she almost fell over. "Whoa!" she replied, laughing. She picked him up and sat him on her lap.

Squall, who had decided to risk going downstairs to get a drink, heard a little boys laughter and looked into Rinoa's room. She wasn't aware that he was watching, but he couldn't help but smile a little when he saw her playing with the little boy. He quickly lost the smile and walked downstairs, praying he'd be able to avoid Katie.

Rinoa hugged Sammy one last time, and then carried him downstairs.

"Bye Sammy," she whispered. He looked at her sadly as Gabriella quickly grabbed his hand and lead him away. Rinoa stared at her, confused. What was her problem? Rinoa's father remained behind a little longer, slightly awkward.

"I... well, I... I'll see you again sometime, Rinoa. Have a good summer," he added. Rinoa smiled, but she didn't hug him. She was still unsure whether her stay in Balamb would be permanent— and she wasn't letting him off the hook until she knew.

"Bye." she replied simply. Then she ran up the stairs into her room and cried into the night. She didn't know why— perhaps it was that she missed Sammy, or perhaps she wanted to, like everyone else, live with her normal family without having to worry about whether or not they were going to get mad at her for the smallest reason.

**A/N:** While I was typing this up (Monday), it was hilarious, I was watching Canadian Idol (I watch both shows, Canadian Idol has funnier auditions lol) and this girl who had gone to audition, well she was on the stage about to sing and you hear this noise right and all of a sudden she's like, "Oh my God, I totally just farted!" LOL I mean who would say that, ON TV! MADNESS! lol but yes, it was hilarious, sorry but I had to mention it since it like JUST happened— meaning, yes, this was done on Monday (the chapter) sorry guys, I can't really go online on the week days because of —bleh!— school. So... yeah. I might get on before the weekend to put it up. IF I get special permission to go on for like, five minutes. But this was a bit of a longer chapter for you anyways, so I hope you enjoyed. And I hope it wasn't dragged out... did it seem dragged out? I hope not, I just wanted to get the dinner done and I did a bit before the dinner as you obviously noticed, since I had to wrap up what happened from the last chapter. Anyways, R & R, and thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, you guys rock! I'd type a smiley, but it never comes out. :D see? At least, I've never seen it come out... or this one D that's the equal sign and D for smiling. Yeah... 'til next time!


	8. End Of The Summer

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter, I might get it up on Thursday since it's a half day and I'm allowed online— or, if I finish it in time, tonight (Tuesday) I'll get it up. It will depend on how much of it I get done. It won't be as long as last chapter, as far as I know, but it might be long. Guess I'll find out when I type it. I was kind of worried about the last chapter, at this current moment I haven't gotten any reviews for it because duh, I did just submit it literally one minute ago before I started again, so I still don't know if it was as... iffy... as I thought it was. R & R anyways, lol I love hearing what you guys think. BTW, you know how Seifer's got those two friends from the defense committee? Well, I remember Raijin as one, and I believe that's how it's spelled. Is the girl Fuujin, with two u's? I know its something along those lines, just... not sure what exactly. I'll type it that way this chapter, and if someone could tell me if its right or not, I'd greatly appreciate it so I know for future chapters. Thanks!

**Disclaimer:** FF VIII again isn't mine. Sad, really.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Eight: End Of The Summer

The summer was slowly coming to a closing, and Rinoa would be starting school with Squall, Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis. Over the past while, she had become better friends with Selphie, and Quistis, although she hadn't seen Quistis too much during the holidays because she had been vacationing a lot with her parents.

Selphie was as energetic as ever all throughout the summer, and it was contagious. Even Quistis couldn't stay upset for long if Selphie was trying to cheer her up— Selphie was someone everybody liked. Well, most people. There were a few who found her energetic, bubbly personality to be either an act, or something to be considered very annoying. Rinoa didn't care what the others thought, so it didn't matter to her.

Irvine was still acting like a big flirt, and Rinoa knew better than to take him seriously, but the more she got to know him, the more she worried about Selphie. Selphie appeared to be falling more and more for the strange man, and that made Rinoa worry. Not that Selphie would be rejected by Irvine, but instead the opposite. They'd get together, go out a few times, and then Irvine would break her heart. Rinoa hoped she was wrong, and hoped that maybe Irvine's flirtatious ways was just something he did so he felt more comfortable around people. If you could ignore him when he hit on you, Rinoa had learned he was quite nice and fun to be around.

Zell, Rinoa had learned, was very fond of hotdogs— it was his favourite food, although he liked basically any food because it was just that— food. Something to put in your stomach. Zell was still nice, even if on the odd occasion disgusting, and his mother, Mrs. Dincht, was even nicer. When Rinoa had forgotten the key she had been given to get into the house, Mrs. Dincht had told her where they left the spare. It seemed she was quite close with Nico, and since Laguna often forgot where the spare was, Nico had told Mrs. Dincht. Rinoa didn't see Zell too much over the summer, because he did work (Irvine often called in sick; Rinoa was surprised he still had a job) and if he wasn't working, he was doing his favourite pass-times: Practicing his fighting skills, eating, and sleeping.

Quistis, of course, Rinoa hadn't seen much because she was off with her parents. The times she did see her, they seemed to get along really well, and Quistis could be a lot of fun. Of course, she could be a real downer at times as well— she seemed to get depressed so easily, that Rinoa sometimes was afraid to joke with her about something, for fear that Quistis might take her seriously. Of course, if you could avoid upsetting her, Quistis was a lot of fun.

Squall... Rinoa didn't even know how to describe him. He hadn't changed too much over the summer, but after Selphie had stayed over and witness one of their almost-but-not-really conversations, she told Rinoa that was the way he was with everybody. _So I've moved up on his list— I'm not the "annoying girl I'm forced to live with" anymore. Now I'm "just like everybody else." I don't know which is better... _Rinoa thought. She wished she knew why Squall was so... cold... at times. So distant, from everyone, including his own father. It had to be something that had happened to him in the past. Rinoa had tried questioning Laguna and even Nico about it, but neither of them had an answer. They both agreed he had been like that all the time they knew him. _What's your secret, Squall Leonhart? _Rinoa wondered. As the days of summer soon came close to an end, Rinoa grew more and more curious.

—

"Can you believe that summers almost over?" Selphie asked. Rinoa smiled and shook her head. They had gone for a hike (they being Selphie, Rinoa, and Quistis, who had no more vacations planned for the rest of the summer), and after reaching their destination, stopped to eat the lunch they had packed. Nico and Mrs. Dincht, who had been preparing for a bake sale near the end of the summer, had surprised them with it and suggested that the other two girls showed Rinoa the best spot in town, where they could see all of Balamb— on top of the enormous hill that was just near the back of the school.

"No, not really. It seems to have gone by so fast." Rinoa added softly. She held her knees close to her as she stared out at the beauty of Balamb. Even if she had only come for the summer, she knew she would have been satisfied with that. At school, it was actually easy to miss Katie, because now that Rinoa had lost her friends, Katie didn't have to plan anything against her, so she ignored her completely. Summer had always been the worst— when Katie was actually at home, with Rinoa, _all the time._ Even when she had her friends over, they still managed to bother Rinoa.

"It's so... peaceful up here, isn't it?" Quistis asked. Rinoa and Selphie both sighed and nodded. They could see all the way across Balamb, and it had grown considerably since Rinoa had been there when she was only four. She glanced down by the school, and saw that a group of kids had gathered on the basketball court.

"Who are they?" she asked suddenly. Both Quistis and Selphie looked down.

"They're people you don't need to know, Rinoa." Selphie replied darkly. "Trust me, their the wrong crowd. They've probably gathered to do their regular... voodoo ceremony, or something. I'm serious!" she exclaimed when Rinoa began laughing. Quistis stared thoughtfully at the group of kids.

"Well, she's not exaggerating much. Although I doubt they're probably not exactly doing a voodoo ceremony, but they are pretty weird. And I'm not just stereotyping them, I tried to get to know that one there, Fuujin. She's got a mighty temper, she's the one with the gray hair and eye patch. She actually hurt her eye by getting in a really bad fight— I don't know if it's healed or not, but she certainly hasn't taken it off in all these years. I think she likes it. Then there's Raijin, he's the tall guy next to her. He's like... so... weak, I mean when it comes to Fuujin. She just has to get angry at him, and its like he's not ten times bigger than her anymore." Quistis replied. Rinoa glanced at them, and saw that they had gathered around someone. There were at least four of them, didn't Quistis know them?

"Then that guy with the blonde hair, he's like their leader or something. His names Seifer. Don't let his good looks fool you— he's been known to get into his own fair share of fights here. That other girl there is Rae. She's pretty, but she's just as much of a fighter as Seifer. Watch out for them, Rin—"

"That's Squall!" Rinoa interrupted. "The guy in the middle. He... I thought he didn't have any... well, I mean I'm sure he could, but doesn't he..." Selphie gladly put Rinoa out of her misery.

"He's not friends with them. I guess Squall obviously wouldn't have told you, but he and Seifer... well, they don't get along to well. But don't worry, he can take care of himself!" Selphie added. Rinoa glanced at her.

"I... who said I was worrying? I'm surprised they haven't run from him, he gives off such strong cold vibes. Anyways, let's just enjoy this lunch!" Rinoa added. She quickly began to unwrap a sandwich, but glanced up from time to time. There was no sign of Squall, but she could tell that the one named Seifer was swearing loudly. She couldn't hear what he said, but judging by his motions, she could take a lucky guess.

"Told you he'd be okay," Selphie replied, nudging Rinoa.

"I never said I thought otherwise. Besides, I really don't care." she replied.

"Oh, okay..." They ate pretty much in silence after that, and Rinoa noticed that for some reason Quistis seemed to have gone into one of her moods. Selphie was busy putting away their lunch and humming a song under her breath, so Rinoa crawled over to Quistis.

"Hey... are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. Quistis looked away, as though she had been caught doing something she shouldn't and was ashamed. She turned her head and faced Rinoa, smiling.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, I was just... thinking." Rinoa knew she was lying, but she also knew better than to push the subject.

"Don't think too hard," she told her. "We'll be doing that soon enough in school." Quistis smiled, but her mood remained the same.

"Yeah..."

—

"Well, Rinoa, I know you probably want to stay here with your friends, but usually ever year before summers out, we take Squall up to Winhill. It's a nice, quiet town and there's places to go camping there. It's... well, the main reason we started to was so that Squall could see his mother's... well, her gravestone. Of course, he doesn't like us to go with him... I suppose that way, if he feels like talking to her, or just... getting emotional... he can, without worrying whether or not someone is going to approach him and comment on it." Rinoa had gotten back a few hours previously from their hike. She had convinced herself that she wasn't worried about Squall, simply acknowledging that he had gotten into a spot of trouble. At least, that answer satisfied her and set her mind at ease.

"Winhill? Oh I'd love to go! I've never been there before. I heard it's so nice there. I will miss my friends, but I have an entire school year. Who knows when I'll get to go to Winhill again?" she added. Nico smiled.

"Well you're certainly more enthusiastic about it than Squall, that's for sure." Nico replied smiling. "We'll be leaving tomorrow, I know it may be early, but we need to get an early start. After all, it is getting close to the end of the summer." Nico replied, smiling. Rinoa nodded. They had moved from the living room into the kitchen, because Nico had begun cooking dinner.

"Of course. So what time are we leaving?" Rinoa asked. Nico was cutting up the vegetables and tossing it in the pot. Finally, after she saw Rinoa get impatient, she replied,

"Oh, at five."

"Five in the afternoon? That's not that early," Rinoa replied. Nico smiled.

"You misunderstood me, dear. I meant five in the morning." Rinoa looked at the clock.

"Better go to bed now then, or I'll never get up in the morning," she joked. Nico too looked at the clock. It was only six.

"Well, Squall usually goes to bed in an hour. Of course, we don't give him the option to stay home, so if you could... well, maybe not mention to him that I gave you an option... I'd appreciate it. I mean, he needs to see his mother's grave side. He might not want to, but I think its good for him." Rinoa nodded, understanding completely. _Hate to say it, but I'd want to stay away too. Last time I visited moms grave side was... well, three years ago. I guess I just don't like being faced with the hard truth all the time. I wonder if that's how Squall feels?_ Rinoa thought. She didn't have much time to ponder this, as soon she had to help Nico with dinner.

**A/N:** Well a bit shorter, but I decided hey, might as well get this chapter out, right? Thanks to those who reviewed, and don't forget to review this chapter! I'll try to get another out maybe on Thursday since I'll be home earlier. BYE! Sorry this one was a little lame, it was needed to introduce Seifer and company, since I wanted them introduced before Rinoa went to school. R & R.


	9. Winhill

**A/N:** Thanks to those who did review, glad you seem to like the story. Anyways, yeah for the last chapter it was a bit boring-ish but I needed to get the introduction of Seifer and company out, as well as Quistis' attitude after seeing them. This will -probably- be the last chapter before they go to school, but I might throw another in, I haven't decided yet. Sorry the last chapter was a little... lacking. At least, I thought it was, maybe that was just me though. Anyways, in this chapter Rinoa sees homeless people in Winhill, and she is saddened by it. I'm using my own feelings for this, because whenever I see homeless people if I'm going to like the city (I live in a small town, there's no homeless people to be seen here) I always feel like crying for them and demanding why life is so unfair and cruel sometimes. So, Rinoa's emotions are inspired from my own... btw, below is an age thing for those wondering.

**Squall: **17 years

**Rinoa:** 17 years

**Irvine:** 17 years

**Zell:** 17 years

**Selphie:** 17 years

**Quistis: **18 years

**Seifer:** 18 years

**Ellone:** 19 years

**Fuujin and Raijin:** 17 years

**Laguna and Nico:** 41 years

That's just to clear it up. You can see that all the ages were kept the same except Laguna is older, since obviously when he was in his 20's like it says in the book for the game, it was during the dream sequences. So, he's older to fit a more suitable age for when he had Squall— when he was 24. Which, I believe now that I think about it was how old the book said he was. Or maybe it was 26... something like that.

**Disclaimer:** FF VIII isn't mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Nine: Winhill

The next morning, Nico woke up Rinoa— four thirty in the morning. Rinoa jumped out of bed and smiled.

"A bit early, but I guess it'll be worth it when we get there!" Rinoa exclaimed. She had already packed for the weekend the night before, and was in the middle of grabbing something from her drawers to wear. Nico, just before she left, smiled.

"I wish that Squall was that enthusiastic. I went in to wake him up, and he just groaned and turned over. In another five minutes, I'll try again." Nico left Rinoa's room, so Rinoa hurried and got dressed. After she was all set to go, she realized that Squall was still asleep. Sighing, she walked just a little bit across the hall and peered into his room. He had pulled the covers over his head, as if that meant nobody would be able to wake him up. Getting an idea, Rinoa went to the bathroom, filled up a bucket that she had seen in the closet with cold water, and dumped it on Squall. He began shouting and she quickly rushed over to her room and began brushing her hair. Squall emerged from his room, soaking wet.

"That..." he started, "wasn't funny." Rinoa looked up from her mirror and smiled, pretending she had for the first time saw him soaking wet.

"What happened to you? And what exactly wasn't funny?" Rinoa asked, placing her brush down on her table and grabbing her bags. She attempted to leave her room, but Squall stood there, blocking the way.

"What happened? You poured cold water on me! And that's what wasn't funny. Don't pretend, I know for a fact my dad and Nico would never do that, because they never have before, and you're the only one who is new around here." Rinoa shrugged and attempted to get around Squall, but failed. Sighing, she placed her bags down and crossed her arms.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Could you please move?" she asked him impatiently. Squall shook his head.

"Not until you admit that you're the one who dumped water on me." He told her. She sighed.

"Fine. I did it. But you weren't getting up very quickly, so I had to do something. Now will you please move?" she asked him. He moved out of the way, and she began walking toward the stairs. Stopping, she turned around and grinned at Squall. "Hey, I guess you don't hate me after all." She told him. He raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you so sure about that?" he asked her. She stood really close to him.

"Because you keep talking to me," she told him. She walked away and headed down the stairs. Squall sighed. He did keep talking to her... and he had no idea why. He assumed it was just because he was forced to live with her, so he couldn't exactly ignore her. Satisfied with the answer he had given himself, he went back into his room and grabbed his own bags to take down to the car. Laguna saw his wet shirt and smiled.

"What happened to you?" he asked. Squall looked down and realized he had forgotten to get changed. He looked up, slightly embarrassed because he was worried what thoughts his father had running through his mind.

"Oh, well... Rinoa, she... she woke me up." Squall replied. Laguna's eyes twinkled, and Squall ran up the stairs to quickly get changed. He already knew it was going to be a long ride to Winhill... and not because it was far away.

—

Rinoa opened her eyes and sat up in her seat. She had fallen asleep after playing some very boring car games with Squall, who refused to answer any of the questions, and refused to even talk to her. _Guess he's still upset about this morning. Well, it's not MY fault that he wouldn't get up. _Yawning, Rinoa stretched to the best of her abilities, as she and Squall were crammed in the backseat. She glanced out the window and saw they were near a nice, warm countryside.

"Are we almost there?" she asked tiredly. Squall glanced at her, but was still ignoring her. Nico, who was now driving (she and Laguna would switch at every stop) glanced in the rearview mirror at her and smiled.

"It's just up ahead. It's a small town, very peaceful." Nico added. She slowed down as they entered the town, and Rinoa saw that the town was indeed very small. Mostly small houses, a few abandoned, but there was a fair sized park as well as a couple restaurants and a convenience store. There were people walking outside on the small sidewalks and smiling at the towns newcomers.

"Just up there is the hotel," Laguna replied, pointing at a nice, but not very large building just a bit ahead. "We'll be staying there. We already have the rooms reserved, so we just have to give them identification and of course pay them." Rinoa saw someone looking rather shabby, and sitting by themselves near an abandoned house, crying. She felt a wrench in her heart, as she felt immediate sympathy.

"Who is that?" she asked. Laguna and Nico were busy talking about the last time they had come to Winhill, so Squall leaned over and glanced out her window.

"I don't know his name, but that's some homeless person anyways. Look, there's the town guard chasing him away from that abandoned house." Rinoa's mouth dropped open, as she saw the guard shooing away the homeless man. _But the house is abandoned... why can't they leave him be? He needs somewhere to live... _she thought. She turned to Squall, shock and sadness etched in her face.

"But that's so mean! What will happen to him?" Rinoa asked. She turned back and glanced out the back window as they had already passed him, and saw the man fall to the ground.

"I guess he'll go to another house until he gets caught. There's not much left for him to do, not if nobody's willing to give him a chance." Squall replied. He saw that Rinoa was troubled by this, and it shocked him. After all, she had come from Deling, surely she would have seen her own fair share of homeless people there. Squall decided to let her be, and stared back out his own window as they pulled in the hotel parking lot. Rinoa silently got out of the car and brought her bags into the hotel.

"Here's the keys, you kids go on up to your own rooms, Rinoa, this is yours," Nico added quickly, handing a key to Rinoa. She gave the other one to Squall. "And this is yours, Squall. Go on, we just have to set up a reservation for tonight at the restaurant across the street. Oh and when you are done putting your things away, come back down here and go in the room there, we'll have lunch together and then Squall can show you around town while we... go pay our respects. Squall, I understand you want to be alone when you go, so Rinoa you can go explore the town or come with us to see Ellone, her college is just a short drive away." Nico added.

"There's a college in Winhill?" she asked, surprised. The town was so small, it didn't seem likely for there to be a college there. Nico nodded, and went back to the front desk. Rinoa went to grab her bags, but saw Squall already had them and was waiting in the elevator.

"Hurry up or you're walking." He told her, not even glancing at her. She ran into the elevator just before it began to close, and she looked at Squall.

"I can handle my own bags, you know." She informed him. The elevator doors opened, and Squall left her bags inside. She glared at him and mumbled something he couldn't understand under her breath. She grabbed the bags and looked around for her room. _Hmm room 204... _she thought to herself. She saw the door and unlocked her, taking her bags inside. Closing the door, she plopped down on her bed. She was so tired from the drive, after all, they had been driving for six hours. Normally it wouldn't have taken so long, except they stopped for breakfast and stayed there awhile, and then of course they got caught in serious traffic somewhere near Timber, and just near the Galbadian school there had been a huge accident (thankfully, not a car accident, but the bridge collapsing) that caused them to have to take a long boring detour. Finally, just an hour before lunch, they had made it. Rinoa quickly put her clothes in the drawers, and took out a picture of her mother that she had made a habit of carrying around with her. She stepped out of her room just as Squall was about to enter, and walked into him. He awkwardly backed away and motioned for the elevator.

"I was going to tell you to hurry up, since I want to eat lunch and Nico told me I'm not allowed to go down without you." He replied.

"When did she tell you that?" Rinoa asked. "I don't remember hearing her say that." Squall pushed the call button on the elevator and they waited for it to make its way down from the fourth floor. They were on the second.

"You wouldn't. You were still putting things away." Squall replied. Rinoa smiled and stood in front of the elevator doors as it opened, crossing her arms. Squall tried to get past her, but she wouldn't let him. "What?" he asked her finally.

"You know, I think this is the most you've ever talked to me." She informed him. He finally managed to shove her out of the way and got into the elevator.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it." Squall told her. Rinoa's smile disappeared.

"Can you ever be nice? Just once?" she asked.

"Yeah, and I was. I came back up for you." Squall replied. He crossed his arms and watched as the numbers on the top of the elevator decreased and the number one flashed.

"That's different. Nico told you to." Rinoa replied. Squall shrugged.

"Yeah, and normally I wouldn't listen." He walked out of the elevator and headed for the room just across from the elevator. It was the hotel restaurant, and Rinoa didn't even pay attention to anything until she walked in. And she saw it... the piano, up on a small stage, for performers. Her head spun, and she rushed to where Laguna and Nico were sitting, and sat herself. She saw a woman, who looked nothing like her mother, and heard the sweet sound of the piano being played. The woman was singing softly, but Rinoa refused to listen to the words, afraid that she'd hear her mother's song. Nico and Laguna looked at her, concerned.

"What's wrong, Rinoa?" Nico asked. Rinoa glanced up and remembered then that she was surrounded by people. Not only Laguna, Nico and Squall, but many others at the other tables around them.

"I... nothing," she lied. She glanced up at the pianist and Laguna followed her gaze.

"Rinoa," he replied softly, "you can't let this keep bothering you. I remember your mother telling me you were taking piano lessons when you were little. I asked your father, he said you haven't played the piano since your mother died. You can't do this to yourself," he replied. "I could easily become depressed just by coming to Winhill, because it's where Raine lived, but I haven't. Come on, let's order," he added. Rinoa nodded and picked up the menu in front of her, sighing. _Mom was so good at playing the piano. It's what made Laguna fall for her originally, so long ago. He's lost two women in his life that he's loved— how can he not be more sad? I guess it's because he's moved on with Nico, but still... I wish that I could enjoy the piano again. Or her song, the one she wrote about Laguna. But... it's been twelve years, and I still haven't moved on. Maybe, I never will. _Rinoa quietly ordered just a salad, as she wasn't feeling very hungry. Nico and Laguna tried to get Rinoa to talk more, but at the moment it was as hard as getting Squall to talk. They finally gave up, and Rinoa and Squall were both silent throughout lunch.

After they had finished eating, they were all standing outside. Nico was in the car, and Laguna had just rushed into the passenger's seat after forgetting his flowers for Raine's grave side in their room.

"Squall, show Rinoa around the town a bit. We'll come find you when you're back." Nico replied. Squall began to protest, but Nico had already pulled out of the parking lot and headed on her way to the cemetery. Sighing, Squall began walking toward the park. He stopped when he realized Rinoa was just standing there. He turned around and crossed his arms.

"Well?" he asked her.

"Well what?" Rinoa asked. Squall sighed.

"Are you coming or not?" Rinoa nodded happily and jogged up beside him.

"So where are we going?" she asked. Squall pointed at the park.

"There." He replied. Rinoa frowned at him and stopped walking. When Squall finally noticed, he stopped and turned around again. "Now what?" he asked her, annoyed.

"You're mean, and I'm not going with you." She told him. She turned around and crossed her arms.

"Are you always this childish, or just with me?" he asked her.

"I'm not being childish!" she shouted. She turned and faced him. "I'm tired of you never talking, okay? And finally, just when you start to talk to me a little more as if you're actually human, you go and stop again!" Rinoa shouted again. Squall looked at her. That wasn't like her, to shout. Was she really that bothered that he wasn't talking to her as much as before? Why would it bother her? He sighed and walked over to her.

"Listen, Rinoa, I'm not a talkative person, okay? I keep to myself, I rely on myself. I have no friends because I don't want them. And I'm sorry if I lead you to believe otherwise." He walked away, going who knows where, and Rinoa watched him leave sadly. _Why is it, _she wondered, _I feel like I'm just starting to get to know you, and you do something to confuse things again?_ Sighing, she decided to head back to the hotel room. She wouldn't have much fun now if she did explore the town. _Maybe I'll take a nap before Laguna and Nico get back._ She decided. She walked back the short walk to the hotel and took the elevator up to the second floor. She unlocked her room, and fell on the bed.

—

_(A/N: this will part, until the next little break, will be in Squall's POV, the way it has been in Rinoa's)_

Squall walked away, his hands in his pockets, and his head down to stop some of the wind from hitting his face. It wasn't exactly a bright and sunny day in Winhill, and it suited for the reason they were there. _What does Rinoa expect? Did she think she'd move here, and I'd just be best buddies with her and talk to her like we've known each other forever? I don't want her tagging after me, or anyone else. They'll only get in the way, get hurt, get... _Squall's eyes watered very little, but he refused to admit it might have been because of anything other than the wind. _Taken away._ He turned back and saw that Rinoa was walking into the hotel. He decided he would go see Ellone, on his own. She was the only one he really talked to, the way he had started to talk to Rinoa.

As he made his way to the college, he saw his mother's old house that she had lived in before she died. It was still in good shape, but nobody had bothered buying it, and it had become another one of the abandoned houses. Squall looked around, making sure no guards were watching, and then ran inside. Some of the things Raine had left there remained, although they were rather dusty. Other things, valuable things, were gone, and Squall felt angryHe knew that it had been the thieves that lingered outside of Winhill that had snuck into the town and stole everything. Sold it, and spent the money on alcohol or drugs. He saw a dusty picture, and picked it up. He blew the dust off it, and saw Ellone as a little girl. Smiling, cheerful as ever, and Squall put the picture down. He glanced once more at the house, before turning and leaving. _Sorry, Rinoa. _He thought. _But I don't need friends. Just... stay away from me. _Deciding against going to see Ellone just now, he headed back to the hotel. He'd wait in his room for Nico and his father to get back, and then he'd leave to see his mother's grave.

—

_(A/N: This part and from hereafter until I say otherwise, it will be in Rinoa's POV as usual)_

Rinoa woke up as she heard a soft knocking at her door. She rubbed her eyes and stood up, heading to unlock it and answer it. She opened the door and saw Nico smiling in front of it.

"We just got back. Did we wake you?" Nico asked, concerned. Rinoa lied and said that she had just been reading when Nico knocked. Nico smiled, relieved. "That's good, I didn't want to wake you up, it's why I knocked so softly. Well, Squall's already headed off for the cemetery by himself again, and we thought we'd take you and introduce you to Ellone." Rinoa grabbed a sweater as Nico advised her, because it had gotten a bit cooler out.

Once outside, Rinoa wrapped her arms around herself and got into the car quickly. It certainly was cold out, at least to say it was still summer. Fall was fast approaching, and so was school. By the end of the weekend, she would be going to school in Balamb. She looked out the window, staring at the houses they passed, the people they passed. She finally saw the cemetery that she figured Squall must be at. She looked around, and at first didn't see him. Then, she noticed him kneeling down next to a gravestone, his eyes staring at the words. She didn't have much time to pay attention to him though as the college was just a minute drive away.

"How will Squall get here, will he walk?" Rinoa asked.

"He usually does. I'm sure he'd have walked from Balamb to see Ellone if we allowed him to, but of course that's just unreasonable. She's the only one he really seems to be close to. He talks to her even more than he talks to Laguna or me, perhaps it's because she knows what he's been through. She lost Raine as well." Nico added. _I know what he's been through, _Rinoa thought, slightly angry. _I lost my mother at a young age, too. So why doesn't he talk to me more?_

"That's probably why," Rinoa replied, although she didn't believe that was why at all. Perhaps Ellone had, over time, made Squall talk to her, the way Rinoa had hoped she would be able to. They walked into the college, which looked like an ancient castle on the outside. Inside, it was as modern as any college. They signed in as guests to see Ellone, before heading over to the other side of the campus. Ellone's dorm room was there, on the third floor. They took the elevator up (Rinoa was amazed that they had managed to get the elevator working and decided that the outside must have been a special design the school had wanted to go with, and not actually a castle that had been there for centuries) and knocked on Ellone's door.

Rinoa didn't know what to expect of Ellone, really. She hadn't heard much about her, other than she was in college, and she didn't know if she'd like her. _If Squall's so close to her, maybe it's because she's some weird person. _Rinoa thought. She saw a dark haired young woman answer the door, who immediately smiled when seeing who it was.

"Uncle Laguna! Nico!" she exclaimed, pulling both of them into a hug. Rinoa looked confused. _Uncle Laguna? But I thought Ellone was his daughter. _Nico must have seen the confused look on Rinoa's face, because she hurried over to whisper an explanation.

"Laguna has always treated Ellone like his own daughter, but she was actually orphaned at a young age. Raine took her in as her own child, and after Raine died, Laguna did the same. When Squall was little, he used to call her "Sis" because he didn't know better. I mean, he was at the age where he would call nearly anyone mom or dad. At least, that was what we gathered out of Ellone. Squall would never tell us anything like that." Rinoa nodded, understanding completely. Ellone opened the door and told them to come in. She then noticed Rinoa.

"Who's this?" she asked cheerfully. "Squall doesn't have a girlfriend I didn't know about, does he?" Ellone asked jokingly. Rinoa flushed and shook her head furiously.

"Of course not! I live with them, my father asked them if they would because he thought..." Rinoa didn't want to get into too much detail just now about her father. "Because he thought I'd be happier here. Laguna was a friend of my mothers. I'm Rinoa Heartilly, by the way." Rinoa added. Ellone looked over at Laguna, shocked.

"Heartilly? Wasn't that pianist you met in Deling named Julia Heartilly?" she asked. Laguna nodded. "Yes, that's Rinoa's mother."

"But I thought she married some man named Caraway, the General of the Galbadian Army. Is he your father?" she asked Rinoa. Rinoa nodded.

"Yes. I... it's a long story, but I changed my name to my mother's maiden name. So," she replied finally, attempting to change the subject, "how do you like being here in Winhill?" she asked. Ellone smiled.

"Oh, it's great. So quiet, peaceful... of course, Balamb is that way as well, but Winhill is just... different. I can't explain," she added. "It's not something one can put into words. So, where is Squall anyways?" Ellone asked. "He didn't stay home, did he?"

"He's visiting Rain at the cemetery." Nico replied quietly. Ellone's smile slowly faded, and she looked down.

"Oh." She replied. There was an awkward silence. "I... I do that, sometimes. After classes are over, I take a walk just to the cemetery." They heard a knock at the door and Ellone brightened. They all knew it was probably Squall, and Rinoa wondered if Ellone had brightened at the thought of seeing her almost-brother again, or so he wouldn't see she had been sad.

"Squall!" she exclaimed. She hugged him too, but Squall didn't wrap his arms around her. He allowed her to hug him, something he rarely allowed many others, but he generally didn't show much affection himself.

"Hey, Ellone." He replied. After she released him, he made sure to sit as far away from Rinoa as possible without it being too noticeable. They sat there and talked, and then Ellone offered to give Rinoa a tour of the campus.

"Why don't you guys stay here and watch TV, and I'll show Rinoa here the campus. You already have seen it all, so I doubt you'd want to come again." She added. In honesty, she wanted a chance to talk to Rinoa alone. She began by showing Rinoa some of the places on campus, including the library and the cafeteria, as well as the classrooms.

"So, tell me something." Ellone asked finally. Rinoa turned to face her.

"Sure. Uh, tell you what?" she asked.

"Do you like Squall?" she asked. Rinoa started laughing, and had to lean against the wall for support.

"Like Squall? What would give you that idea?" she asked. Ellone smiled.

"Nothing gave me the idea, I was just wondering if you did. I think, against his better judgement, he might be starting to consider you a friend. Does he talk to you a lot?"

"What do you mean, against his better judgement?" Rinoa asked.

"Oh, you misunderstood me!" Ellone replied quickly. They had now reached the gym in the college, and Ellone lead Rinoa inside and across the gym to the door on the other side. "You've probably noticed that he doesn't have many friends," _Try none, _Rinoa thought. "And it's because he doesn't like getting close to people. He's... well, he'll never admit it, not even to me, but I believe he's afraid of losing the people once he gets close to them. So by against his better judgement, I meant nothing against you, but against the thought of having friends altogether."

"Oh. Well, he doesn't talk to me a lot, no. He started to, but... well, it never lasts long." Rinoa replied. Ellone smiled, sympathetically. "And I doubt he's starting to consider me as a friend. He told me himself that he has no friends because he doesn't want them. He even apologized if he made me believe otherwise." Ellone's eyes were twinkling, but she said nothing. She wasn't going to interfere, at least not now. They headed back to the dorm room, and stayed there chatting a little while longer. They then invited Ellone to go to dinner with them.

After they had finished eating, they headed back for the hotel. The next day came, and they went once more to see Ellone to say good-bye, and then headed back for Balamb.

**A/N:** Well there's another chapter a bit longer for you, hope you enjoyed. I liked this chapter much more than the last one, because it seems as though I got a bit more established, at least for the future of this story, and of course, it was more fun for me to write. Until next time...


	10. First Day Of School

**A/N:** I'm not sure if I'm going to update any of my other stories this weekend, I just don't feel like it. For the longest time I didn't even feel like doing this one, but then I forced myself to a bit and then it just went from there, so you guys should be glad of that at least. Now, I only feel like working on this one. I don't know why, I've been feeling really lazy fanfiction-wise since I updated on what was it, uhhh Tuesday I believe? Yeah, Tuesday. Anyway, I haven't gotten any reviews for the last chapter yet, so I'm just going to type this up and hope you guys liked it. By the way, because I've enjoyed doing this story so much and because a lot of people seemed to like it, I will probably continue with future FF VIII stories and maybe other Final Fantasy stories (once I play the other games, of course). R & R.

**Classes:** When it comes to classes, I'm going to do Rinoa's classes the way mine are done, at least time-wise, since it's easier for me to remember since I have my class times memorized by heart, and I won't be rushing back to check the chapter to figure it out. Below is her schedule.

8:40 - 9:50 ---- Math

9:50 - 10:00 ---- Ten minute nutrition break

10:10 - 11:20 ---- English

11:20 - 12:15 ---- lunch

12:20 - 1:35 ----- History

1:35 - 1:45 ---- Ten minute nutrition break

1:50 - 3:00 ---- Free Period

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy belongs to Square (is it Square Soft or Square Enix? I have two copies of the game one borrowed from a friend that I've yet to return since I bought my copy and one says Enix and the other says Soft...) Not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Ten: First Day Of School

After they had gotten back from Winhill, Rinoa hadn't talked much more to Squall. He had kept to himself most of the weekend, and the odd time she attempted to engage in conversation with him, he would brush her off and leave. It bothered Rinoa, but she decided that if he was going to be that way, she was going to let him. She hadn't forgotten that he had been at the school cornered by a bunch of students, but she didn't bring it up either. He would think she had been spying on him, and she hadn't. Not really... she had just noticed him there. And what had been with Quistis, after she and Selphie had told Rinoa who was who? It didn't make much sense to her at the time, and it still didn't. Did Quistis have some history with one of the people that had surrounded Squall? Rinoa tried to remember who had been there, but soon found she couldn't remember a single name. _Oh well... _she thought. _I guess I'll find out tomorrow. _

The next day, Rinoa woke up, feeling more than a little nervous. It was lucky that she had met friends over the summer, because it seemed to her that Squall didn't intend on speaking to her for awhile. At breakfast, after she had gotten dressed, she glared at Squall across the table, but he pretended not to notice. This made Rinoa even more angry, because she knew that Squall could talk just like anyone else, and that he was capable of being good company if he just tried. _Fine, forget it... if you want it that way, so be it. I'm not wasting my time with this anymore._ Rinoa thought. She got up, grabbed her bag and headed out the front door. She saw Zell and Selphie waving at her, and she waved back and jogged up to them.

"Hey guys!" she replied. "What are you doing here, Selphie? I mean, Zell lives next door, but you live a few minutes away." Rinoa asked. They began walking to school, and Rinoa heard the sound of the door closing. Squall was a fair bit behind them, and keeping his distance away from them she was sure.

"Well, I couldn't let you walk by yourself." Selphie told her. Zell stopped punching randomly in the air and turned to her.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "What about me?" he asked. Selphie giggled.

"Oh but you're no fun to walk with. You're always off in your own world kicking at rocks on the ground, and punching randomly in the air like you're being attacked by invisible monsters or something." Rinoa laughed as she saw Zell's face change to a face of shock.

"I am fun to walk with!" he replied. Selphie laughed and grabbed Rinoa's arm. She stuck her tongue out at Zell.

"We're going on ahead, you just stay back here and practice your _fighting._" She told him. He crossed his arms and then punched the air again.

"Maybe I will!" he told her. He did as he said he was going to and began punching at the air again. Selphie rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Don't mind him. His grandfather was this serious martial artist, and he wanted to be like his grandfather. He died about eight years ago, I think. I was at the funeral— almost all of Balamb was, actually. His grandfather made quite the impression on people. It was almost impossible for people to not like him. Zell's a lot like him— except the "it was impossible for people to not like him" part," Selphie added jokingly. They both laughed and talked on the way to school. When Rinoa saw it, she took a deep breath. She wasn't very comfortable when it came to starting a new school, not that she had ever started at a new school before. She just remembered her first day of school, and how she had been convinced she would be crying for her parents to come pick her up. Only this time, she wouldn't cry. Being a teenager was so different from when you were little. When you were little, you believed that your parents would protect you from everything bad in the world. To you, your parents were the best parents in the world. They were perfect. As you grew older, though, you would come to realize that maybe they weren't so perfect. They had flaws too. Crying wouldn't get your parents to bring you home. They'd tell you to grow up. Rinoa sighed, and walked on with Selphie. She heard Squall shouting at Zell for accidentally kicking him, and she couldn't help but giggle. She forced herself to stop after she reminded herself that she was mad at him still.

"Nervous?" Selphie asked her, as she lead her to the main office to get her schedule. Rinoa smiled.

"Oh yeah. But... I guess it's better starting a new school with friends already, then starting a new school as a complete loner. Right?" she asked. Selphie nodded.

"Definitely!" Selphie replied. They walked up to the desk in the main office and the lady looked up.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Uh, I'm new to the school, just transferred." Rinoa replied. "My na—"

"Name?" the lady asked. Rinoa sighed. _Maybe if you would have waited you would know already. _She thought.

"Rinoa Heartilly." Rinoa replied. The lady looked through the files, and pulled out a folder.

"Yes, Rinoa Heartilly... sometimes known as Caraway?" she asked.

"Does it matter?" she asked.

"There are some files here under Rinoa Caraway, so yes, it matters." The woman replied impatiently. Rinoa sighed.

"Original name was Rinoa Caraway, it's been changed to Rinoa Heartilly." Rinoa replied. The woman handed her a sheet of paper and placed the files back where they had been before. She began typing on her computer again, and printed out a note. She signed it, and handed it to Rinoa.

"Show this to all your teachers so they know that all of your textbooks and yearbooks have been paid for in advance, just so they don't hassle you in classes." Rinoa smiled, said thanks, and then walked away with Selphie. She ran back into the office, remembering something.

"Yes?" the woman asked, sighing.

"My locker..." Rinoa started. The woman sighed again and handed Rinoa a combination lock, and told her the number of her locker. Rinoa left and told Selphie the number.

"That's so far from mine though!" she replied. "This bites. Hey, I went to my home room to pick up my schedule, let's see if we have any classes together." Selphie pulled out her schedule and compared it to Rinoa's. Her face fell. "We only have one class together!" she replied sadly. "And it's the most boring class too!" Selphie added. Rinoa looked to see what class it was.

"English? What's so boring about it, I thought you liked it?" Rinoa asked, thinking back to some time in the summer when she had met up with Selphie at the pool and saw her reading a book.

"Oh, I do!" Selphie replied. "I mean, I don't really like working— there's so many better things to do after school— but our teacher, at least the one we have this semester, is so boring." Selphie sighed. "My locker's right here and I'd like to take you to yours but I have to hurry to class since even though it's only the bell to tell us to head to class, if we're there after that we get detention." Rinoa raised her eyebrows.

"What teacher does that?" she asked.

"Miss Avery." Selphie replied. She opened her locker and Rinoa smiled.

"It's okay. I'll find it on my own. And if not, well... I'll just ask someone." Rinoa added. She began walking and looking at the lockers as she went by. Selphie's locker was before her own, but yet as Rinoa was watching for her locker, she somehow ended up passing it. She grew frustrated and began walking back, checking out the lockers again. Still, she had no luck finding it. She turned around again and almost walked directly into someone. She glanced up, and saw that she had walked into one of the students that Quistis and Selphie had mentioned. _The blonde guy... Seifer?_

"Sorry," Rinoa muttered, trying to walk around him. Seifer smirked and stepped in front of her.

"That's okay. Say, are you new here?" he asked. _Gee, nothing passes this guy... _she thought. She then felt shocked with herself for thinking that way. _Must be me being around Squall so much. Great._ Rinoa continued walking, but answered with a simple 'yes.'.

"Oh, I knew you must. I knew I wouldn't have forgotten a pretty face like yours." He added. _Odd, I thought Quistis and Selphie said that they were the bad crowd? He seems nice, although I can tell he treats women the same way as Irvine._

"Right." Rinoa replied. "Did you want something?" she asked, realizing he was still following her. He smiled, and wrapped an arm around her. She attempted to squirm out from it, but he kept a firm grip on her, not allowing her to get away. He steered her in a completely different direction than she had been intending to go, and she noticed the hall seemed almost abandoned. Seifer stopped at the end of the hall, and lead her into an abandoned classroom.

"So. Rinoa Heartilly, huh? Or should I say, Rinoa Caraway. But no... you prefer your mother's name, of course." Seifer replied. He sat down in a chair in the room, and motioned for Rinoa to do the same. She remained standing, and frowned at him.

"How do you know all that?" she asked him. Seifer shrugged, and Rinoa felt a shiver as she saw the look on his face. It bothered her. He seemed to come off as almost nice, although slightly odd, but there was something else there that bothered her. She couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"I'm Seifer Almasy. There's not a student at this school I don't know everything, or close to everything, about. Your name's Rinoa Heartilly, and your mother died in a car accident because the other driver was drunk. I know you have a stepmother and a stepsister you really don't like, and I know that it was your father's idea to send you to Balamb to live with Laguna Loire, who is, correct me if I'm wrong, Squall Leonhart's pathetic father." Seifer replied calmly. Rinoa's eyes widened. _How could he know that? Unless... Squall..._ "Did you know that Laguna was offered the position of _president_ in Esthar, but passed the offer down? Sad, really. He could have had so much control... and he passed it all up. I know you're friends with Selphie Tilmett, well she's definitely quite the cute lady, but a little too energetic. Ah, and Quistis... I bet you didn't know that Quistis actually once fell in love. Seems odd, for her, I suppose. She's never really shown much interest when it came to dating, but still... she did fall in love, but had her heart broken. Shame... anyone else you want to know about?" Seifer asked. Rinoa backed away, and tried to open the door, but she was struggling with it.

"How do you know so much about these people? What do you want?" Rinoa asked. Seifer moved closer to her, so that he was only inches from her face.

"I want you." He replied simply. Rinoa gasped and struggled even more with the door which suddenly opened. On the other side, she stumbled backwards into Squall, and he moved her out of the way and glared at Seifer.

"Still bothering the new students, Seifer?" he asked. "Well, leave Rinoa alone." Squall warned him. Seifer laughed.

"What makes you think I'd listen to you, Leonhart?" he asked. "You're just as pathetic as your father." He added. Squall, frustrated and finally pushed over the edge, punched Seifer in the face, causing his lip to bleed. Seifer wiped at his mouth and looked at the blood.

"Still the same, I see." He replied. "Resorting to violence, you know if you weren't such a loser, you could have joined my little group. Made your own. I guess that's not your thing though. Didn't I warn you last time, Squall? Don't mess with me." Seifer grabbed Squall and shoved him up against the wall. He smirked as he saw Rinoa out of the corner of his eye tense up and step forward. He let go of Squall, and walked away. Squall landed on his feet and Rinoa ran over to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. Her anger was forgotten; all she was thinking about now was whether or not Squall had been hurt at all. Squall didn't answer her, but instead started yelling.

"What the hell were you doing with him!" Squall shouted at her. Rinoa stepped back, shocked by his sudden outburst.

"I—"

"Don't you know anything? Why the hell are you so trusting of everyone!" he asked her.

"I—"

"Are you that stupid that you'd allow someone like Seifer Almasy to take you down an abandoned hallway?" Squall asked her.

"Will you let me talk!" Rinoa shouted. "I'm sorry, okay, but I didn't have that much control, I couldn't get out of his grip and I was trying to open the door but I panicked! Since when do you care?" Rinoa shot back. Squall fell silent. He didn't know how to answer that question. Rinoa seemed satisfied with that, and she shoved past him and began walking. She stopped, rather awkwardly, and turned around. Squall saw her staring at him.

"What?" he spat out.

"Uh... do you think you could help me find my locker?"

—

It was second period, just before lunch. Rinoa had already had math class, and was now in English with Selphie. Rinoa handed her note to the teacher, who nodded and handed her the textbooks.

"Here you are, Miss Heartilly. Class, for those of you who don't know, this is our new student, Rinoa Heartilly. Please find a seat," the teacher told her. Rinoa nodded and sat down next to Selphie, who had saved her a seat. The teacher began droning on about the students assignment, which was to write an essay on how their summer had been, what they had done, and so on so forth. After the first twenty minutes of explaining a simple task, Rinoa tuned out of the conversation and looked around. She saw that other than Selphie, the only people in the class she recognized was two of the ones that she'd had pointed out to her.

"Who are they, again?" Rinoa asked in a quiet whisper. Selphie looked to where Rinoa was pointing.

"Oh, that's just Fuujin and Raijin. Friends of Seifer, they follow him around everywhere. He could give them any command and they'd follow." Selphie replied. She began doodling on her notebook, and Rinoa glanced over and saw that Selphie was doodling Irvine Kinneas all over her notebook. It wasn't until the teacher came over that she hid her notebook.

"This is a worksheet I want you to work on. There will be no need to talk, and I will be taking in these sheets in fifteen minutes. That will leave half an hour of class, which I will instruct you on what we will be doing at that time." Rinoa glanced at the sheet and saw it was a review worksheet, basically something that would likely require more than fifteen minutes. Rinoa sighed and started working. There were no voices heard, as everyone was too busy trying to finish the sheet as much as possible before they had to hand it into the teacher for it to be marked.

Rinoa had just barely finished the sheet when the teacher was snatching it from her hands, and walking onto the next student. Rinoa tapped her pencil on her desk absentmindedly, and heard protests from behind her. She turned around and saw some guy in her class was attempting to finish the sheet, and having a tug-of-war match with the teacher. She giggled at that and poked Selphie in the side. Selphie squealed, but followed Rinoa's gaze and smiled.

"The teacher's always extra hard on him, but it just makes him try to work harder and harder. By the way, did you finish? I had ONE question left and he just took my sheet away." Selphie replied. She looked at the clock and groaned, realizing how much time there was still remaining in class.

"This day is NEVER going to end!" she moaned. The teacher glared at her, and Selphie fell silent. Rinoa giggled again, and listened as the teacher began droning on about how they had silent reading to do.

"We will be reading Romeo and Juliet, as it is part of the curriculum, so here are your books," the teacher replied, handing them out. "These are yours to keep in your lockers or at home. At the end of the reading session, I will be collecting them back. You have been assigned a certain number, so no writing in or on the books, or I will know who it was. If you notice any marks on the books, or tears in the pages, please let me know before hand so that I know it wasn't your fault." Everyone began checking their books and were soon satisfied to find no marks.

"Read chapters one and two, and write a chapter summary on it. Summaries should be a fair sized paragraph, summing up the chapter properly." The teacher added. Rinoa opened the book, and soon was lost in the tale of Romeo and Juliet's sacrificial love.

**A/N:** Yeah, I just kind of left it there, but I'm actually in the middle of reading a fanfiction by one of my reviewers, Emerald-Latias— I'm reading Locked Inside right now, I like it a lot and I couldn't stop reading it to finish this, but I decided that I better get this chapter out like I promised myself I would. So, here it is. Next chapter will still be the school day but it will also be something else. You'll have to wait and see... R & R.


	11. Angelo

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter. I finished that story, Locked Inside, it was good. I'll probably check out the other stories of my reviewers, see what they're like and such. Anyway, here's the next chapter, keep in mind that at this moment I haven't read any reviews for the previous chapter, sooo I have no idea what anyone thought, and any constructive criticism might not be used in this chapter as much because I haven't read any. Yet, anyway, lol. R & R. BTW I apologize if the teacher's names don't seem to fit, I'm using actual teachers names I've had— thus, the boring English teacher part, since my English teacher was boring. At least, the way he talked and read. Plus he was stupid. He let out like 90 of the class to go to the library and most kids were wandering the halls and he didn't even notice if they walked by. I could have a normal conversation with somebody, and he wouldn't notice— so, that will of course be the inspiration for the boring English teacher in this story.

**Disclaimer:** FF VIII isn't mine

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Eleven: Angelo

Rinoa jumped as she heard the bell ring. She had been so caught up in her reading, that she hadn't even noticed the time. She gathered her books up and left the classroom. Instead of heading to her locker to put her books away, as most of the students were doing, she leaned against the wall just outside of her classroom. She didn't know why, but for some reason her English teacher, Mr. Rogers, had decided to keep Selphie behind a little longer to "talk" with her. Rinoa hoped she would be out of the classroom soon, because she heard a familiar voice getting closer to her as time went by.

"Leonhart's getting on my nerves already, and it's only the first day of school." Seifer complained. He was being followed by two people that Rinoa recognized as Fuujin and Raijin. _Please hurry up, Selphie... _Rinoa thought. The last thing she wanted was for Seifer and his friends to see her. But Selphie wasn't coming out of the classroom anytime soon. Rinoa could already hear their teacher begin one of his never-ending (or so it would seem) lectures. _Sorry, Selphie, but I can't stick around. _Rinoa quickly began walking down the hallway to her locker, hoping Seifer, Fuujin, and Raijin wouldn't notice her. She got to her locker, opened it quickly by entering her combination, and a piece of paper fell out. She bent down to pick it up, and saw that it was a newspaper clipping. She turned it over and read the first two words: Julia Caraway... tears came to Rinoa's eyes, but she blinked them away. She continued reading on, even though she could feel herself getting dizzy.

"_Julia Caraway, age 32, died today in a terrible car accident. In the car with her was her young daughter Rinoa Caraway. The paramedics did all that they could to save her, but it wasn't enough. The other driver, who was the cause of the accident, was charged with impaired driving, and left the accident with only a few scratches on his body."_ Rinoa stopped reading the article, and began thinking of who would do such a thing. _Seifer... _she realized. He was the only person she could think of, that seemed to be so cruel. Or at least that he had the capability of being cruel. She dropped the article in the garbage can, and headed to the cafeteria. She was going to try to forget what she had read, although she found it difficult as she was feeling very dizzy. Everything kept going black and fuzzy, but finally, as she walked to the cafeteria she had passed on the way to English, she didn't feel so dizzy anymore.

Once she got inside of the cafeteria, she saw that there was a huge line up at the counter, and decided she would just buy chocolate milk first. (A/N: For those of you wondering, you get your food at one line, and then you go to the cashier to pay for it at a different line, and since the line at the cashier wasn't crowded, she was just going to get a drink) After she had paid for her milk, she walked out of the cafeteria and began looking for someone she knew sitting at a table. She finally saw Quistis, who was frowning disgustedly at Zell (who was shoving food down his mouth as if there was no tomorrow), and sat down with them.

"Hey, Quistis." Rinoa replied. She decided not to even bother saying anything to Zell, because if she did, he'd just open his mouth to reply, and his mouth was completely full of food.

"Hey Rinoa! Where's Selphie?" Quistis asked. "She told me in first period that you guys had the next class together." Rinoa smiled, and noticed that Irvine was coming over to sit with them. He stopped, though, and sat down at the table just a few away from theirs to flirt with the girls there. She rolled her eyes, and looked around, trying to find Squall amongst the crowded cafeteria. She didn't see him anywhere, so she turned back to Quistis.

"Yeah, we do, but our teacher held her back to speak with her. I was waiting for her, but I..." Rinoa didn't know if she should get into detail about what happened. Even though she knew she was unable to escape Seifer's grip that morning, she wasn't sure if Quistis would react the same way Squall had— telling her that she was stupid for allowing herself to go anywhere with him. _Quistis is my friend. She wouldn't do that. Squall's just being a meanie. _Rinoa concluded.

"This morning, I was looking for my locker when I walked into Seifer." Rinoa started. She saw the expression on Quistis' face change, first, to shock, and then a strange look that came afterwards that Rinoa couldn't recognize. She continued. "He grabbed me and wouldn't let me go, so I had no choice but to follow him to this hallway. Then, he began talking to me about everyone, saying all these things about me, about Squall, and..."

"About me..." Quistis replied softly. Rinoa looked at her, confused as ever.

"I... yes, about you. How did you...?" Rinoa trailed off. Quistis stood up.

"I'd rather not talk about this. I– I have to go finish up some work I got in first period, so... bye." Quistis walked away quickly, and Rinoa looked at her, still confused. She saw that Quistis, who had been staring at the ground and walking away, walked into Seifer herself. After watching Quistis turn a million shades of red, and Seifer smirking at her in the most irritating way, Rinoa wondered if maybe Quistis had been in love with Seifer. She turned to Zell, who had taken a break from his eating to drink down some of his soda.

"Zell?" Rinoa asked. Zell looked up at her.

"Yeah?"

"Was... well, you're friends with Quistis, right?" Rinoa asked. Zell laughed.

"I guess you could say that, but I don't think she'd be as quick to say that. Why?" He asked her. Rinoa looked down as Seifer passed their table, hoping he wouldn't notice her. If he did, he pretended not to, and continued on his way over to the back of the cafeteria.

"Well, was Quistis... in love with Seifer?" Rinoa asked. Zell, who had begun drinking more of his soda, spat it out. Rinoa was grateful she hadn't moved to take Quistis' seat, because if she had, she would have been sprayed. Zell wiped his mouth.

"What makes you say that?" he asked her, trying to sound casual.

"So she was..." Rinoa concluded. Zell shook his head.

"No! No, she wasn't. She hates him." Zell added, unconvincingly. Rinoa rolled her eyes.

"You're a bad liar, Zell, stick to what you're good at. And I'm sure of it. But if she knew he was the wrong kind of person to hang out with, why would she fall for him? I mean, Seifer said that she was in love but she had her heart broken. So..."

"Alright, already! I'll tell you, so you don't go getting the story messed up and say something to Quistis. When Quistis first transferred here, last year, she didn't know Seifer was the bad kind of guy to hang out with. She had become friends with Selphie, but only a little. So she began dating Seifer, who acted like the perfect gentleman around her, never once showing his bad side. He told her he loved her, that he wanted to be with her, and she fell for it. Selphie tried to tell her that Seifer and his friends weren't the crowd Quistis should be hanging out with, and Quistis shouted at her, telling her she was jealous because Quistis had a great relationship with Seifer, and all Selphie ever had with Irvine was a conversation from time to time. So of course Selphie got mad, and she told Quistis that she'd be sorry when Seifer had gotten tired of her and broker her heart, just the way he had with many other girls. They didn't talk to each other for so long, and Quistis got more and more involved with Seifer. Well finally, Seifer was going to go to a party with Quistis, but she was supposed to be going to see some of her family that weekend. Plans changed, but Seifer didn't know that. She went to surprise him at the party, but she ended up getting the surprise when she learned that Seifer had come to the party with another girl, and left shortly after with the same girl." Zell stopped. "Are you sure you want to hear all of this?" he asked her. Rinoa nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She replied. Zell sighed, staring at his lunch, regretting ever getting into the conversation.

"Well, the next day she went to confront him. She saw him outside, smoking and making out with some girl. She was so upset by it, because she heard Seifer saying the same things to that girl he had said to her. What was worse, when he saw her watching, he didn't make up any excuses, he just smirked and told her it was over. So Selphie found out about it and they forgave each other, but Quistis..."

"Still isn't over Seifer?" Rinoa offered. Zell nodded.

"I don't think she is." He replied.

"So I guess that means it would probably be a good idea not to mention that he's interested in me now, right?" Rinoa asked. Zell choked on his food.

"What?" he exclaimed. Irvine stopped flirting with the girls at the other table, and sat down next to Zell just as Selphie had gotten back from the class. "You're kidding, right?" he asked her.

"No, I'm not. He told me so himself. Of course, I'd never date him— he's such a jerk, I mean he knew everything about me, about Quistis although now I know why, and Squall." Rinoa told them quickly what had happened, and Irvine shook his head.

"I can't believe he thinks that we'd let you!" Selphie burst out. "After what he did to... well..." she didn't want to say, because she didn't know that Zell had already informed Rinoa about Quistis' relationship with Seifer.

"She already knows..." Zell replied quietly. "She asked me if it was true," Zell added.

"Well, he didn't actually ask me out, he just said he..." Rinoa stopped talking as she saw Squall sitting by himself a few tables away. "I'll be right back," she told them. She grabbed her drink and went over to where Squall was sitting, and saw down across from him. He glanced up at her, but other than that he pretended not to notice her there.

"Listen, Squall," Rinoa replied, "You lost the chance to try and protect me from people like Seifer when you said you didn't want friends, so stay out of my life and I'll do the same for you." She told him.

"You think I was protecting you? I—"

"Forget it! I don't care what you want to call it, but you don't want to be my friend, so you don't have any right to try and interfere." With that, Rinoa stood up and headed to buy her lunch now that the line had died down. She returned to where Selphie, Zell, and Irvine had been sitting with pizza. Normally, she would have balanced out the pizza by having a salad with it, but for some reason she just felt like eating the junk food and enjoying it.

"Why did you stop to sit with Squall?" Selphie asked.

"To tell him to butt out of my life." Rinoa replied between bites. She saw that Squall had stood up, and began walking over. She was determined to ignore him, but found she couldn't.

"I wasn't "protecting" you, Rinoa. I know you'd like to think that, but I've got my own history with Seifer. I happened to hear his voice talking about my dad, so I went into the room. I punched him, because he was talking about my dad. None of it had anything to do with you." Squall walked away, and Rinoa glared at him. The others, though, looked amazed.

"That's the most I've ever heard Squall talk," Zell replied. "And I've lived next door to him since he moved in with his dad." He added.

"Well he talks more to Rinoa..." Selphie replied, and Rinoa, picking up on the hidden meaning, glared at her.

"He doesn't like me, so get the idea out of your head." Rinoa warned. Selphie laughed.

"Okay, okay, it's gone." Selphie replied. She had already bought her lunch and was eating fries. (Rinoa remembered her saying that the fries, pizza, and salads were the only things that tasted alright, but almost everything else was gross. Zell refused to admit the hotdogs tasted disgusting)

"Well, let's forget about Squall." Irvine replied. "What are you ladies doing tonight?" he asked, smiling at the pair of them.

"Working on an essay. Our teacher gave us it just before lunch and it's due tomorrow." Rinoa replied. "I already told Selphie I'd help her with it." Rinoa added. Selphie looked as though she wished they didn't have that essay, but she said nothing. Irvine stood up, nodded at them all, smiled at Selphie and then walked away. Selphie sighed.

"Why does he have to be so cute?" she asked. Rinoa shrugged and finished eating her pizza. Zell, who had finished what he had bought for lunch, decided he was still hungry and he headed back for more.

"If you like him so much, why don't you tell him?" Rinoa asked. Selphie looked shocked.

"I can't just _tell _him I like him! He's such a flirt, he doesn't seem to ever have any real feelings for anyone, so even if we did go out, we'd just break up because he wanted to go out with some other girl, and then whatever friendship we DID have would be ruined!" Selphie replied. She put her head down and looked at the table miserably. _Well, at least she knows he's a big flirt. I was afraid that her liking him would make her overlook that. I suppose if I had pointed it out, she wouldn't have gotten defensive. _

"Well, maybe you'll just have to wait until he grows up a little more, and stops flirting so much with everyone." Rinoa replied.

"That'll take forever..." Selphie complained.

"Well, if we get those essays finished before tonight, maybe you could hang out with him. Come on, let's go to the library." Rinoa replied. She stood up and attempted to help Selphie, but she just groaned.

"You go. I don't want to."

"Selphie, I don't even know where the library _is._" Rinoa replied. "Please?"

"Ask Squall..." Selphie replied.

"NO!" Selphie sighed, and stood up.

"I should have known you'd say that. Well, even if I don't hang out with Irvine, I can at least get tonight off. Unless I get homework in math... did you get homework?" Selphie asked. Rinoa shook her head.

"No, we just did all these review questions on the board. Why, do we have the same teacher?" she asked. Selphie nodded.

"Yeah, Mr. Best. He's known for giving out a _lot _of homework. And he's mean, he'll let you do this work and then he'll wait til the end of class to add the rest of it so we HAVE to have homework. And he has really lame jokes..." she added. Rinoa laughed.

"Yeah, I heard one today he told us about Galbadia. He doesn't seem to like them too much. He was brutally abusing them." Selphie looked rather cheered up by this point, and was as energetic and bouncy as she had been before.

"Come on, Rin, let's go!" she replied enthusiastically. Rinoa had to run just to keep up with Selphie, who wasn't ready to stop anytime soon.

—

The end of the day soon came, and Rinoa was forced to walk home by herself. She had gotten a history assignment, and told Selphie, Zell, and Irvine to go on without her this time. Sighing, she began the walk back home. Home... it seemed so odd to her to call Laguna and Nico's place home. Yet, even though she hadn't grown up there, it felt more like home there than it had ever felt in her own. She supposed it was because Nico was so nice and Laguna was so funny. Her family was the complete opposite. Gabriella was so mean, and her father was too serious. Squall had started to become a pain, but Rinoa was slowly getting used to it. She had never known someone to be so distant and cold, especially when you knew that deep down they really did care._ I wonder why Ellone asked me if I liked Squall. She said she was just wondering, but... do I give off that impression on people? I'll have to ask Selphie that later._ Rinoa decided. She walked into the house, said hi to Nico who was making lasagna for dinner, and headed up to her room. As she opened the door, she was shocked when a large dog jumped out of it. She cried out and fell to the floor. The dog began licking her face and she sat up.

"Nico? Why did a dog just run out of my room?" she asked. She walked down the stairs, the dog following not far behind her.

"Oh, well you know how I volunteer at the animal shelter?" she replied. Rinoa nodded. "Well," Nico replied, as she placed another layer of cheese on the lasagna before placing it back in the oven, "I found this poor thing in a dark alley, it seemed as though he had been abandoned. He was tied to a pole, but he had been there for awhile. Dehydrated, and starving, he was so thin. I took him to the animal shelter a month ago, which was when I found him. They took care of him there, and he got healthier and more active. But since nobody had decided to take him, they were going to put him down because they didn't have room, and I couldn't allow that to happen. I thought you might like him," Nico added. "Consider it a welcoming present." Rinoa knelt down and patted the dog on the head.

"He's so beautiful. I can't believe someone would neglect him like that!" she exclaimed. "It's horrible. I don't know how you can volunteer at the animal shelter. I understand you want to help, but seeing those animals so sick..."

"It tugs at your heart, doesn't it?" Nico replied. Rinoa heard the front door being shut and realized Squall was home. She was determined to ignore him the way he ignored her and everyone else so often.

"Yeah, it does." She replied softly. She looked down at the dog again, and she could see, now that she was taking a better look, that it still seemed a little sick. "So what's its name?" she asked finally. Squall hadn't even glanced at the dog, but gone up the stairs instead and slammed his door shut.

"Oh, he doesn't have one yet. I thought maybe you'd like to name him. Squall doesn't really care much for animals, and Laguna would pick the worst name. When Squall was a little younger, he had a pet gerbil, and Laguna wanted to name it Fluffy. Honestly..." Nico replied. She smiled and shook her head. Rinoa thought for a moment.

"What about Angelo?" she asked. She didn't know where this name had come from— it had just popped into her mind, and she decided it would be a good name. Nico smiled.

"Angelo it is. Well, he has a bed already in your room, so why don't you take him up there? Dogs can be good listeners, you know." Nico added. Rinoa nodded, and walked up the stairs. _Dogs can be good listeners... well, I guess that's true, but they can't answer your questions. They can't tell you you're overreacting. _She walked up the stairs, and called Angelo.

"Angelo, here boy!" she replied. She doubted it was the name that caused him to come to her, but more her voice and the simple command for him to come to her. No dog got used to a name that quick. She knew he was barely older than a puppy, and it didn't make sense to her why nobody would adopt him. _I guess they just didn't want a dog who looked sick. Even now, you just need to look into his eyes to see the pain there. I can't believe the way people put animals through so much hardship._ She saw that Squall was sitting at the desk in his room, doing his homework. She stood there a moment, watching him. She didn't know why, but she felt as if Squall was somehow putting on an act around everyone. Just watching him do his homework in silence, he seemed so different. More relaxed, and not so deep in thought. He seemed more human than he did any other time. With unanswered questions and unwelcome thoughts in her mind, Rinoa went into her room with Angelo, and began doing her history assignment.

**A/N:** Well, there's the chapter, for some reason I had some serious mixed thoughts about this one, I guess I'll just have to wait and see what you all think about it. Yeah, I couldn't forget about Angelo, I mean he was such an adorable dog! Came in handy in the game too. It's what helped me defeat Fuujin and Raijin the first time, in Balamb (yeah, before I realized that stupid Zell let you in his room to save and sleep, so I had to keep starting from the school since I never bothered to try to go into his room again. Insane...) R & R, let me know what you think!


	12. Devin

**A/N:** Well, I don't even have the next chapter up yet and I'm working on this one, that should make you guys happy. Bleh, can't believe its Sunday already, yesterday just FLEW by for me. And I have a science test tomorrow.. _Yay.._ Yeah, sarcasm is a GREAT invention. Anyway, I'll say thanks to those who reviewed, yeah I know Seifer was a bit ooc there, he's supposed to come off a little wacky in this, but I'll try to keep it a bit more in character for you.

**Disclaimer:** FF VIII isn't mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twelve: Devin

The first week of school, for Rinoa, consisted mostly of review work, as the teachers were trying to see how much the students remembered from the year before, and to test their knowledge to see what most people's weak points were. Rinoa and Squall hadn't said a word to each other since the day she was confronted by Seifer, and neither of them seemed to mind. Laguna was too busy, off in his own little world where everything was going perfect, to notice the change. Before, Rinoa would try to make Squall talk at dinner, but now, she wouldn't even look at him. Nico wasn't so blind to the change, however, and she wanted to ask one of them about it. She didn't know who would get more mad— Squall, or Rinoa. Even though it wasn't at all like Rinoa to get mad, it also didn't seem like Rinoa to completely ignore Squall and stop talking to him completely.

Quistis, after she had gotten over the small bout of depression, seemed to return back to normal, and Rinoa decided she was going to avoid mentioning Seifer, at least whenever Quistis was around. She felt bad for her— she hadn't known Seifer was a jerk, and fell for him. Because of her deep feelings she believed she had for Seifer, she ignored her best friend when she was warned about him. Because of that, she was now trying to heal a broken heart. _Even if you put the pieces back together, the cracks from where it broke remain._ Rinoa thought one day. Now that she knew about Quistis' past relationship with Seifer, she noticed more things. For example, she noticed that Quistis fell silent if Seifer was around. Or that she would stare at him, both with sadness and anger, if she saw him with any other girl. She knew they were over, and she didn't want to be with him, Rinoa was sure. _But that doesn't mean the feelings aren't still there..._ Rinoa realized.

Selphie didn't really get too sad about Irvine anymore— she liked him a lot, Rinoa could tell, and she was worried for her friend. She felt better knowing that Selphie wasn't blind to the fact that Irvine was a flirt, but she also felt that Selphie would probably still be sad about it. Rinoa couldn't read her mind— so she couldn't tell if Selphie really was okay with the fact that she was sure she'd never be with Irvine, in any way other than friends.

Both of Rinoa's closest friends were so caught up with one guy, and Rinoa hadn't ever fallen for any guy. Despite the fact that she had always been popular at her other school, at least before her stepsister had interfered, she never had much interest. There wasn't any guy that she had met, who wasn't in some way a jerk or disgusting. Rinoa thought briefly of the three guys she had in her life. Zell was pretty disgusting when it came to food, and Rinoa just couldn't think of him in any other way than as a friend. Irvine, she would never date because first and foremost, Selphie liked him, and second, he was too much of a flirt for her liking. And Squall... what could she say about him? Nothing she hadn't been saying to herself since she had met him. He was cold, he was distant, and he relied on himself just like he had told her he did. There was no way she could like someone who couldn't say half of what they thought.

—

The weekend after the first week of school had finally come, and Rinoa was thrilled that she had gotten no homework for the weekend. Most of the teachers would be away for the full next week, because they were going to a camp with the ninth graders for the full week. Some teachers (such as Selphie and Rinoa's English teacher, Mr. Rogers) would be staying behind.

Selphie walked with Rinoa and Zell, as had become the habit, and Rinoa told Selphie she would introduce her to Angelo. Zell had homework, so he couldn't go over.

"I can't wait to see him! I love dogs, but my dad's allergic." Selphie replied. "We can't stay too long, though, don't forget we're supposed to meet Quistis." Selphie reminded. Rinoa nodded.

"Yeah, I know, I know. Where were we supposed to meet her again?" Rinoa asked. She lead Selphie up the stairs, ignoring Squall as they walked past him. Rinoa opened her bedroom door and Angelo bolted out of it, barking. He stopped once Rinoa reached down to pet him, and Selphie squealed.

"OH! He's SO CUTE!" she squealed again. Rinoa laughed and Selphie sat down on the floor where she had been standing and patted Angelo on the head. "I can't believe someone could have just abandoned him like that, I mean really who does that?" Selphie asked. "Especially to such a cute dog!" Selphie replied. They continued spoiling the dog with love when Squall came up behind them. He looked as if he was about to say something, and Rinoa looked at him.

"What?" she asked irritably. Squall shook his head.

"Forget it." He replied. Rinoa looked at him confused. _What were you going to say, Squall?_ Rinoa thought, forgetting for a moment that she was mad at him. _When will you ever start speaking what you think?_ She thought. Squall went into his room and closed the door, and Rinoa sighed, staring down at Angelo. Selphie looked up at Rinoa, concerned.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Rinoa smiled and shook her head.

"N-nothing. Let's go meet Quistis now," she added. "Angelo, be a good boy and stay out of everyone's way." Rinoa told him. She and Selphie walked down the stairs, and left the house.

—

_(A/N: Squall's POV again!)_

Squall shut the door behind him, this time not slamming it as he usually would, but just gently closing it. He walked over to his bed and sat on it, placing his head in his hands. The night before, he had a strange nightmare that hadn't made any sense to him, but he had a feeling Rinoa would have understood if he asked her about it. But she had seemed so mad at him still, and she was with that hyper loud girl again, so Squall had decided to forget about it.

In this dream, everything was black. There wasn't anything Squall could see, but it felt so cold to him that he figured it must have been winter. He heard the sound of tires screeching, the sound of metal against metal, and the sound of a heart pounding loudly. The sound echoed in his head every time he thought of it. It didn't make sense to him... what was this dream supposed to mean? He didn't know what made him think Rinoa would understand it. He just had that feeling. Sighing, Squall thought he heard voices again outside and walked over to his open window. He saw Rinoa and Selphie walking down the street, giggling to themselves about something, and Squall couldn't explain why he suddenly felt very weird. He shook the feeling away, and began to work on the history assignment he had. He knew himself that Rinoa had already finished it, since she had handed it into the teacher already. Squall wasn't generally someone who enjoyed slacking off, but for some reason he had left the assignment til the weekend. (A/N: For those wondering, yes, Squall and Rinoa are in the same History class xD)

_Okay, _Squall thought, looking over his assignment. _Thirty years ago, Dollet had been invaded by Galbadian Soldiers. This was before the election of General Caraway, who was in fact elected as the General for the Galbadian Army because of his ability to restore the peace and freedom to Dollet. After the fall of the previous general, Galbadia elected— Caraway, isn't that Rinoa's father? So he restored the peace and freedom to Dollet. Funny, I got the impression that he was rather— wait, I'm trying to do an assignment, forget Rinoa and her father! _Squall thought angrily. He began writing down his essay, pushing all thoughts of General Caraway and Rinoa Heartilly from his mind.

—

_(A/N: Back to Regular Rinoa's POV)_

Rinoa and Selphie had promised Quistis that they would meet her at the movie theater. They were going to go watch a movie, although they hadn't chosen one yet. They figured they would wait and see what one was showing when they got there, that way if the movie they had decided they wanted to see had already started, they wouldn't be disappointed.

Rinoa hadn't been to the theater yet in Balamb, so she had no idea where it was. She was glad to see it was near the water, so while they waited for Quistis to arrive, she could smell the fresh air and stare out at the sea. It seemed so peaceful, just doing that. Selphie, after the first five minutes of waiting, got restless and stood up (they had been sitting on a bench outside of the theater).

"Rin, I'm going to go and get something to drink, I'm thirsty. Want anything?" she asked. Rinoa shook her head.

"No thanks, I'll just wait out here so Quistis knows we're here already." Rinoa replied. Selphie bounced into the theater to buy herself a drink at the lobby, and Rinoa sat staring out at the sea. She closed her eyes, feeling the wind blowing on her face, and she sighed. Because she was relaxing with her eyes shut, she didn't notice anyone coming up behind her, and so she jumped when she heard a voice talking to her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a soft voice asked. Rinoa jumped and turned around, seeing a guy behind her with blue hair. Rinoa decided that if his hair hadn't been blue, he would have been quite cute, but to her it seemed to give him such a childish look to go with his serious face.

"Yeah..." Rinoa replied, rather awkwardly. The boy had stopped staring at the sea and was now staring at her, but not at her body as some perverted guys may have, but at her face, staring directly into her eyes. She looked back out at the sea.

"Do you care if I sit with you?" he asked her. Rinoa shrugged, and moved over on the bench.

"Sure, but I don't think I'll be here long. I'm waiting for someone." She added. The boy looked crestfallen.

"Oh, your boyfriend huh?" he asked her, standing up. Rinoa shook her head, laughing.

"No!" she replied after laughing. "I'm waiting for one of my friends. The other one is inside getting a drink." She replied. The boy sat down again and smiled at her.

"So," he replied, staring at her eyes again, "you don't... have a boyfriend?" he asked her. Rinoa shook her head.

"No... would it matter?" she asked him. The boy laughed.

"Well, considering I happen to be a single guy, talking to quite an attractive and interesting young woman, also single, I suppose it would matter." He answered. _What's he trying to say?_ Rinoa thought.

"Uh, yeah, and?" Rinoa asked, confused. So what if she was single? It was nice to be called attractive, but really if they were both single... it was then that Rinoa realized what he meant. "Oh." Rinoa replied. "I— never mind, I get what you mean..." she replied finally, rather embarrassed. She looked over at him. He was staring at her, causing her to blush. She looked away again and stared at someone who was walking at the shoreline.

"So... do you w-want to go out... maybe?" he asked her. Rinoa had known it was coming. She had, as surprising as it may sound, never really dated anyone, as she hadn't really cared to. _Was it that I didn't care, or I didn't want to have to deal with Gabriella and Dad? Well... neither of them are here NOW..._ she thought.

"I— I don't even know your name," Rinoa replied, a little shyly.

"Devin. And your name...?" he asked her. She looked up.

"Rinoa. Rinoa Heartilly." She told him. He smiled and stood up.

"Well, Rinoa Heartilly, would you like to go out with me sometime?" he asked. She looked away, but couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Well?" he asked again.

"I... well... okay."

—

After Rinoa had agreed to go out with Devin, she had two problems to face, and their names were Selphie Tilmitt and Quistis Trepe.

"You said _yes?"_ Quistis asked, shocked. "But... but... Rinoa, you don't even know him!" Quistis told her. Rinoa knew that Quistis was worried about her, because of what had happened between her and Seifer, but Rinoa felt... different. Ever since they had parted (Devin couldn't join them in the movie, as he had actually just came out, and was headed for home) Rinoa couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Yes, Quistis, I said yes, and besides, I said I'd go out with him _sometime,_ that doesn't mean we're going to continue dating. It's only for sure a one-time thing, so would you relax, please." Rinoa begged. She knew that she shouldn't have told Quistis, because in her eyes it was history repeating itself, only it was Rinoa's heart she was sure was going to be broken.

"What's the big deal, Quistis? Like she said, it's one date. Perfect opportunity for them to get to know each other." Selphie replied. Quistis sighed.

"I... I guess. Besides, you're entitled to dating who you want, we can't control it, only advise you against it if we think there's reason to, right?" Quistis replied. She tried to act as though she no longer cared, but Rinoa knew otherwise. She was sure that at this moment, memories that Quistis had from the times she and Seifer shared together, were flooding through her mind. Memories of how he had been before he began acting like a jerk— when he had put on an act for her. They headed down the stairs, and sat at the table. Nico had told Rinoa to invite her friends over for dinner, which they were having a little late, when they had gotten back from the movies. Squall was already downstairs, and seeming rather upset that he was being forced to eat dinner with four women. He kept silent, but couldn't help looking up at Rinoa. He looked away quickly after she noticed, but out of the corner of his eye he saw her smile at him before continuing her conversation with Selphie and Quistis.

"So girls, how was the movie?" Nico asked, sitting down to eat. Selphie looked over at Rinoa, a mischievous look on her face.

"Well, the movie was good... but it's what happened _before_ the movie that counts." Selphie replied. Rinoa began to blush and protest, but Selphie hushed her and continued. "Rinoa, why don't you tell Nico what happened before we went to see the movie?" Selphie asked.

"I... well, it's nothing, really—"

"Rinoa?" Nico asked, as she stopped eating. "What happened?"

"She got asked out on a date!" Selphie squealed. Squall's head shot up, but nobody other than Quistis, who wasn't as thrilled as Selphie was, noticed. Nico smiled.

"That's great, Rinoa. I assume you said yes," Nico added. Rinoa nodded.

"I... yeah, I did." She replied quietly. She glanced over at Squall, to see what his reaction to this news was, but his expression was unreadable. _Why can't he just for once say what's on his mind?_ Rinoa thought.

"Well, who asked you?" Nico asked.

"Devin Sanders." Rinoa replied. After telling Nico a few of the details, Rinoa fell silent. _Why did I say yes? Quistis is right. I... I don't really know him. But since I met him, I haven't stopped thinking about him. Maybe now I understand how Selphie feels when it comes to Irvine. I just hope that Quistis' worries turn out to be over nothing. I don't... want to get hurt._

—

_(A/N: Squall's POV again...)_

After Squall had finished his dinner, he asked if he could be excused. When his father had first married Nico, Squall had been determined to hate her. He believed it was her goal to replace his mother, and he didn't want Raine to be replaced by anyone. Yet he had soon learned, after several arguments with his father and many tears and outbreaks from Nico, that he had been completely wrong. Nico was simply a kind woman, who had fallen in love with his father. She didn't want to replace his mother, only make a place of her own.

He couldn't say that he still didn't sometimes treat her like an outsider, the way he would sometimes treat Rinoa, but he tried his best to avoid that. That was why this night, he asked to be excused instead of just leaving. For whatever reason, he had begun feeling immense guilt for the way he had treated her so many times before, and felt the urge to make it up to her.

After Selphie's outburst, Squall had tried to finish eating his meal as quickly as possible so he could be excused. He didn't know why, but it bothered him that Rinoa had agreed to go on a date with this... Devin. _Why should it bother me?_ He asked himself. _She's bound to have a lot of boyfriends while she's here, does it really matter that much?_ He thought. He lied down on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his room completely enveloped in darkness. He hadn't bothered turning on the light; he was only thinking anyway. He turned over on his side. _Since she's come here, she's been nothing but a pain. Inviting over loudmouth friends, asking me to show her where her locker is... she's gotten into a sticky spot with Seifer, and she's bound to again. Now, she's going out with some guy... and if she manages to get through the relationship without being brutally heartbroken, I'll confess every single thought I've ever had to the entire world. But... does it matter if she's heartbroken? I mean, I don't care._ Squall thought.

Squall heard the sound of his door slowly being pushed open. He hadn't bothered to close it properly, figuring that people would see the partly closed door and get the picture: stay out. He sat up and watched the door, expecting either a concerned Nico or a love sick Rinoa, coming to tell him everything about Devin, as if he actually cared. But it wasn't Nico, and nor was it Rinoa. It was Angelo, that damn dog of Rinoa's. The dog poked its head into the room, and Squall stared at it. _Heh, even the dog wants to get away from Rinoa's friends. _

"Come here, Angelo." Squall replied softly. The dog jumped onto Squall's bed, lying down and making itself comfortable. _Angelo, what kind of a name is that for a dog?_ Squall thought. _Is everything about Rinoa so... STOP THINKING ABOUT HER!_ He shouted at himself. He glanced down at the dog, who was staring at him.

"I know what you're thinking," he replied. "And that's not what this is." The dog tilted its head, as if confused, and Squall couldn't help but laugh— a very, small, tiny laugh that was barely even heard by himself.

"I must be going crazy..." he replied. "Talking to a dog, and thinking about Rinoa all in one day." Squall replied quietly. He got out of bed, and walked out into the hallway. He heard Rinoa talking to her friends, both of them she had invited to stay for the night, and ignored them completely. _I won't think about her. I won't think about her._ Squall thought. He kept telling himself that over and over again in his head, and stopped walking, finally reaching his destination. He opened the door in front of him, which would appear to anyone else to be a closet door, but was in fact the way into the attic. From the attic, there was a door leading outside onto a small balcony, staring over a lot of Balamb. Squall stood there, despite the cool wind outside, and tried to sort out his thoughts. Things were already starting to get confusing, and it had barely even begun.

**A/N:** Well, there's another chapter, hope it was better than the last one... please don't kill me for throwing in Devin, but he's a very important part of this story, and don't worry, I won't get all lovey-dovey between the two of them since they won't be a couple forever. Clearly, as this is a Rinoa x Squall story, not Rinoa x OC. So, review, and forgive me for throwing in Devin.

**Why Devin?** Well, the reason I chose Devin (although I changed the last name) is because when I was in eighth grade, I liked this guy named Devin, and he, as you MIGHT have guessed, had blue hair. Dyed it very often, I believe it has been: Blue, Red (he's had it red twice now), green, purple (yes, purple, wait til you hear the next one...) And... _pink_. Yeah, I like weird people. Anyways, I always liked the name Devin, and so randomly, the name popped into my head, so I used it.


	13. First Dates and Mysterious Dreams Part 1

**A/N:** Yeah, I know, adding in a character for Squall's jealousy has been done a lot, but there's more to Devin than that. And yeah, weird that I included him as the person he's based upon was someone I liked, but I like the name, and I find it easier to actually base an OC on someone I know in real life, that way, I don't focus so much on them and I can continue focusing on the actual main characters. I played the game again (I started from the start for a change since I got stuck and felt bored of it anyways and wanted to see the part where Squall and Rinoa dance, lol) and hopefully it helped me with the characters a bit, maybe you'll notice a difference. But Devin won't be a love interest for Rinoa for long, that was never the plan... I don't always plan ahead, particularly with stories basing mostly around the whole "love" deal, but... well, this time I made an exception. Anyways, here's the next chapter, and for the record, in chapter fifteen, something involving Devin will happen, and... well, I won't spoil it. Enjoy! R & R.

Emerald-Latias: Thought I'd give you a little shout out— don't be afraid to be harsh, I can handle it, constructive criticism is helpful for me and I appreciate any suggestions you have. After all, if I don't agree, I have the choice to stick with what I'm doing, but if I do agree, it helps me improve the story in my eyes and others, just that much more.

**Disclaimer:** -sighs- Again, _not_ mine. I mean I haven't even finished playing the GAME (ahhh stuck at the stupid part where you fight Fujin and Raijin the second time, at the Lunatic Pandora— would've been past it but the saved data was damaged and I had to start from when they got launched into space... AHH! Lol doesn't help that I only had three of the original GF's, Ifrit, Quezacotyl, and Shiva... lol I started it fresh and I have like 8 GF. Game doesn't take too long anymore to get places...)

**Joke:** There's a joke I mention just at the start, I don't say in the story how it goes, so I'll say it here. It's odd... but something I would, of course, find funny. Heh.

A vampire walks into a bar and goes up to the bartender. "I vould like a glass of blood," the vampire asks the bartender. The bartender shakes his head. "Sorry sir, but we don't serve blood here. How about a glass of water instead?" the bartender asks. So, the vampire agrees and takes the glass of water. A second vampire then walks into the bar a few minutes later, and asks for the same thing. Again, the bartender replies, "I'm sorry sir, but we don't serve blood here. Perhaps a glass of water instead?" So, the vampire agrees and takes the water. Finally, another few minutes later, a third vampire walks into the bar, and asks not for blood, but for a hot cup of water. Yes, water. So, the bartender, giving the vampire a funny look, gives him the hot cup of water, and then goes and joins the other two vampires. They see his hot water, and ask him why he didn't try asking for blood. The third vampire smiles, pulls a tampon out of his pocket, and begins dipping it into the water, "No need, tea time, tea time!"

L... O... L! That was weird, just me typing it... -shudders- my mom told me that one.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirteen: First Dates and Mysterious Dreams Pt 1

Rinoa left her room after telling Quistis and Selphie a rather funny joke about three vampires, and began looking for Angelo. She wanted to show him to Quistis, who was as eager to see the cute dog as Selphie had been, but he was nowhere to be found. She thought she heard voices coming from Squall's room, so she walked over to it.

"I must be going crazy..." she heard him say. "Talking to a dog, and thinking about Rinoa all in one day." Rinoa had to hurry back across the hall into her room as she heard Squall getting out of bed. She closed the door almost all of the way and saw down on her bed. Quistis looked around.

"Where's Angelo?" she asked. They heard Squall walking by, and Rinoa waited until she was sure he was gone before she walked out into the hall. She saw him disappear from the end of the hall, and Rinoa walked into his room where Angelo had been, and knelt down. _Squall will talk to you, but not anyone else? Well, that really makes a lot of sense, doesn't it, Angelo?_ Rinoa thought. She walked across the hall to her room, glancing first back at the place where Squall had gone, and then called Angelo into the room. Selphie squealed when she saw Angelo.

"Isn't he so cute?" she exclaimed, petting Angelo who had lied down where the girls were sitting. Rinoa smiled, but she couldn't help thinking about what she overheard. _He was... thinking about me?_

"He is... adorable," Quistis admitted. She glanced over at Rinoa, who hadn't said a word since she had gone to get Angelo. "What's wrong, Rinoa?" Quistis asked. Rinoa looked up.

"Nothing." she replied. _Why would he think about me? HE said he didn't want friends. Zell told us Squall didn't think he needed friends._ "Just... a headache," Rinoa lied. "I... er, I get headaches if I don't... get enough fresh air," she replied suddenly. "I think I'm just going to go get some, so... I'll be right back." Rinoa jumped up and headed down the hall to where Squall had been. She knew she couldn't admit overhearing him talking to himself, but she could try and talk to him. Maybe now, he'd let her.

—

_(Squall's POV until next break— even though Rinoa will be here, it's Squall's POV all through 'til the next break!)_

Squall stared out, not really looking at anything in particular, and sighed. _It's just because I'm not used to being surrounded by things that go on in a teenagers life. I mean, dating, friends..._ Squall thought. He turned around, intending on going back downstairs, when Rinoa walked right into him and fell to the ground. He stood there, awkwardly, as she got up and smiled.

"Oops. Sorry about that." she replied cheerfully. Squall couldn't help but notice something... odd... about her voice. As if there was something hidden in it. He shook away the feeling, and frowned.

"Are you o— whatever," Squall improvised. Rinoa started giggling, and he looked at her, confused. "What's so funny?" he asked her. She walked over to the railing and glanced at the sky, the sun already gone, and the sky was growing darker.

"You. I'm fine, Squall. Thanks for... almost... asking," she added. _I... don't even know why I was going to ask that. _Squall thought to himself.

"... did you want something?" he asked her, seeing that she had no intention of leaving. She stared down at the ground below the balcony.

"I... well, I was going to get fresh air since I have a bit of a headache, but... I saw you come up here, and..." _And what, Rinoa? _Squall thought. _You didn't come here just for small talk. _"I decided that I would come and see... ahh... if you knew Devin?" Rinoa felt like smacking herself in the head. Of all the things she could have mentioned, she had to choose that. Squall turned and looked at her quickly. _Does it matter if I do?_

"...Why?" he asked her. Rinoa turned around and looked at him.

"Well, it's just Quistis seems a little worried about it. I mean, I don't really know him..." Rinoa added. She regretted even bringing up the subject. She couldn't possibly expect Squall to talk after bringing up Devin. _So what do you want me to do about it?_ Squall thought. "So, do you know him?" Rinoa asked, interrupting his thoughts. She was looking up at him, and he shook his head.

"...No." he replied. He turned around, and walked back into the attic, down to the second floor, and then walked down the stairs and out the front door. Rinoa remained standing where she was, staring after him as she saw him walking away.

"I don't get you, Squall Leonhart." she whispered. She turned around, and headed back for Quistis and Selphie.

—

_(Rinoa's POV, which is the normal)_

The time before her first date with Devin flew by, and soon, Rinoa was in her room, getting ready for the date. Selphie had offered to come over and help Rinoa pick something out. Normally, it would be regular, casual clothes, but Devin had told Rinoa the only way he could take her out that night was if she agreed to go with him to a play his older sister was performing in. He was the one responsible of filming it, since his parents would miss it. Rinoa was excited, just because she loved plays, especially one like the one that would be playing that day. It was an original script that, Rinoa learned, Devin's sister had wrote herself.

So, Selphie sat on Rinoa's bed with Angelo, approving or disapproving with certain things Rinoa came out with. She didn't want to go with a regular casual look, but a little more fancy without going overboard. Finally, Rinoa was torn between two choices. One was a little more casual, and it was a simple black strapless dress with black flip flops. The other was what Rinoa had on at the moment, a midnight blue dress with about an inch and a half wide straps that wrapped around her neck. Rinoa had blue sandals, high-heeled (only a little off the ground) and straps cris-crossing each other over her foot.

"Oh, I don't know, Rin. I like both of them!" Selphie exclaimed, glancing at the black dress that was hanging over a chair. "What do you think?" she asked. Rinoa shrugged.

"I don't know anymore than you do." she replied. "It's too bad Nico wasn't here, then we could ask her, but she's at the animal shelt—"

"Squall!" Selphie called out. Rinoa stopped speaking immediately and shook her head furiously. _Selphie! Just because I live here, doesn't mean he's going to suddenly start being friends with everybody. He doesn't care..._ Squall groaned and stood in the doorway, frowning.

"What?" he asked. He glanced over at Rinoa, but forced himself to look back at the currently beaming girl who had called him. Selphie ran over to Squall and dragged him into the room, causing Squall to glare at her and pull his arm away. "Do you mind?" he asked her.

"We need another opinion, and since you're the only one here..." Selphie trailed off. "Which do you like better? It's probably good to have a guys opinion, anyways. There's the dress Rinoa has on now, or this black one." Selphie ran over to the chair and held up the black dress. Squall felt like shouting that he didn't care which dress Rinoa wore, but he sighed. If he ever wanted to get out, he'd have to answer. He honestly thought about what Selphie was asking, and he glanced at Rinoa to see the dress she was wearing now.

Rinoa realized Squall was looking at her, and she felt very awkward. _Oh why did Selphie have to call him in here in the first place? _She thought. Squall looked over at Selphie, who was eagerly awaiting his reply. He turned to Rinoa.

"The one you have on now," he replied quietly. He turned and left the room, trying to force himself to forget anything involving Rinoa, and finish some homework he had to do. Rinoa sat down on the bed and sighed, glaring at Selphie.

"What was the point of that?" she demanded. "That was... embarrassing." she added. Selphie smiled and sat down on the bed again next to Rinoa.

"Aww, are you... _blushing!"_ Selphie asked excitedly. Rinoa felt her face grow hot, but she shook her head anyway. There was no way she was blushing, not over Squall. The thought alone seemed to scare her, and she stuck her tongue out at Selphie.

"NO!" she shouted. "But Squall and I aren't exactly on speaking terms, I mean, not really..." Rinoa replied slowly. "So it's really awkward when you asked him for his opinion. I'm just surprised he actually... well, responded." Rinoa replied truthfully. Selphie nodded, and walked over to put the other dress in Rinoa's closet.

"Well, you better hurry up, Devin will be coming any minute now!" Selphie exclaimed, as she glanced at the pink clock Rinoa had in her room. The clock itself was hanging on the wall, the actual clock surrounded by a dolphin as a frame. Rinoa glanced at the clock and jumped, too.

"I... I don't think I can go." she replied finally. Selphie immediately turned, shocked.

"What do you mean!" she asked. "You HAVE to, you're the one who agreed to go in the first place!" Selphie exclaimed. Rinoa's head dropped, and she stared at the ground.

"But... I've never... I mean, I never really bothered with this dating thing. What if it goes really bad? What if he's some... well, arrogant jerk?" Rinoa asked. Selphie went behind her and began shoving her into the hallway, ignoring Rinoa's protests.

"You HAVE to go, Rin. Even if he turns out to be the smelliest jerk alive, you can't just leave him hanging. Don't think of it as a date. Think of it as... two acquaintances getting to know each other." Selphie improvised.

"That's what a date is!" Rinoa exclaimed. Selphie dragged her down the stairs, and the two of them jumped as there was a knock on the door. _I think I should have given this more thought... _Rinoa thought helplessly. She saw Squall in the kitchen, apparently having come down to make himself something to eat. Selphie, Rinoa knew, had agreed to stay and wait for Rinoa to come back. Worst case scenario, if things went really bad, Rinoa would call her and Selphie would get Zell to take her to the playhouse to pick up Rinoa.

"C-c-coming!" Rinoa called, her voice shaking. She walked over to the door, took a deep breath, and opened it. Devin was standing there, smiling at her.

"You look great," he told her, sensing her nervousness. He smiled and nodded at Selphie, who smiled back and then pushed Rinoa out the door, handing her a light sweater. _'Have fun'_ Selphie mouthed. Rinoa smiled weakly, and was soon pulled away by Devin who had drove there. She took a deep breath before getting in the passengers side. Devin put on his seatbelt, and turned the radio down. Previously, it had been quite loud, and Rinoa assumed he wanted to talk, or to hear her if she tried to talk. She put her own seatbelt on, and stared out the window as Devin pulled out of the driveway. Rinoa wasn't sure what she wanted to say, after all, as Quistis had pointed out to her many times before, she really didn't know Devin. However, Rinoa was saved from having to try and find a topic to talk about.

"So, are you friends with Tilmitt?" Devin asked her. Rinoa looked over and smiled.

"Yeah, she was one of my first friends." Rinoa replied. She felt glad that he had spoken, but now the awkward silence remained. She resumed looking out the window, but soon Devin spoke again.

"Oh. She seems... nice," he replied lamely. Rinoa looked over at him, confused.

"Yeah, she is. Energetic and cheerful all the time." Rinoa added. She was a little disturbed at how Devin's smile disappeared.

"Yeah, annoying, isn't it?" he asked. Rinoa felt hurt, after all, Selphie was her friend. _That's not... what I meant._ Rinoa thought. She decided she wouldn't hold it against him at the moment. She knew he was being rather bold by expressing his feelings about her friends to her in that way, but there was no law that any date she had needed to approve of her friends. She was sure that there would be more than one friend of his that she didn't like. _Well, if we decide... to do this again._ Rinoa thought to herself. Already, she was having her own second thoughts. She still felt this strange feeling in her that she couldn't quite describe, but more than that, she felt confused. She felt as if she really seemed to like Devin, but at the same time, she hated the way he talked about one of her best friends.

"So, what's it like, living with Leonhart? I hear he's pretty cold-hearted," Devin added. Rinoa looked at Devin again, feeling the confused sensation in the pit of her stomach. Why was Devin bringing up all these people?

"It's not as bad as you might think. He's not really all that cold-hearted, just... distant." Rinoa replied. Devin didn't push the subject. _I wish he'd talk about anything else but Selphie and Squall._ She thought. She decided to take matters into her own hands. "So... your sister wrote the play that we're going to see, huh?" she asked finally. _Better than talking bad about people I ca— about everyone. _Devin turned as they had reached the strip plaza where the pool was.

"Yeah, she had a bit of inspiration from her life, I guess. See, the play..." The discussion of what the play was about lead them all the way to the playhouse, and by the time they had gotten there, all thoughts of anything related to other people at school was forgotten. Devin grabbed a camcorder from the back seat.

"I have to film, don't forget." he replied, laughing. "So I might not be as talkative throughout the play, although you said you like plays, so you'll probably want to focus more on the play itself until the intermission anyways." They walked into the playhouse, and after purchasing their tickets they entered the main part of the playhouse and took their seats.

—

_(this will be in_ _Squall's POV)_

Selphie, after Rinoa left, walked into the kitchen to where Squall was making something to eat. He glanced up at her when he heard the sound of someone walking in, but soon returned to what he was doing when he saw who it was. _What does she want?_ He wondered for a moment. He decided against focusing on it, and grabbed some leftovers from the day before. He saw Selphie staring at him, sighed, and turned to face her.

"What?" he asked finally. She walked over near him and leaned against the counter.

"Nothing..." she replied. "Thanks for helping us out earlier, we needed another opinion, and I know that it was probably the last thing you wanted to do," Selphie replied. Squall just nodded and put some of the leftover chicken and fries on a plate. He popped it in the microwave and waited. He saw that Selphie wasn't going anywhere.

"Why are you here?" he asked her.

"Well, Rinoa was a little nervous and I told her that I'd stay here so she could call if things got bad, and I'd get Zell to take me there to get her." Selphie replied. _Great..._ Squall thought sarcastically. _In other words, I get stuck with her here while Rinoa's on her date. Why couldn't she just wait at Zell's place, and Rinoa could call there instead?_ Squall thought to himself. He saw Selphie standing there awkwardly, and, sighing, he grabbed another plate from the cupboard and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Selphie replied. Squall said nothing, but grabbed his plate and sat at the table in silence. He began eating, and Selphie, after heating her own food, joined him.

"So," she replied cheerfully, ignoring the glare Squall sent her way as she tried to start a conversation, "Have things changed here much for you since Rinoa moved here?" she asked.

"...What do you think?" he asked. He finished eating quickly before she could attempt to start up yet another conversation, and walked into the kitchen. As he walked back out, he stopped and turned to her. He looked like he was going to say something, but decided against it and walked up the stairs to his room instead. He felt tired, and, wondering for a moment if perhaps he was catching a cold or having allergy problems, decided to lie down.

Meanwhile, Selphie was downstairs, smiling to herself as she finished eating and put her plate in the sink. She sat down on the couch in the living room, turned on the TV, and couldn't help whispering, _'Rinoa's already gotten to him, just a little.' _She glanced up at the stairs, and then became engrossed in a movie that had just started.

—

_(Squall's POV still)_

As Selphie was down the stairs watching a movie, Squall lied down on his bed and tried to sleep. He tossed and turned for a little while, before stopping and staring at the ceiling. He found himself wondering, fleetingly, what Rinoa was doing at that moment. He was stunned that he was actually curious about it, and forced his mind onto something other than Rinoa. He began thinking of the camping trip that the school had every year coming up, and thought of the fun— no! He shook his head, shoving out another thought that had been about to invade his mind. _Just go to sleep..._ he told himself.

_Squall was sitting in a seat, in... space! Rinoa was behind him, floating. Squall jumped up and grabbed Rinoa, carefully bringing her over near her seat. He then sank down into his own, but instead of Rinoa sitting in her seat, she fell down into his arms, and showed no signs of leaving. _

"_Why are you holding on to me like this?" Squall asked, grabbing Rinoa's hand. She looked down, sad._

"_You don't like this?" she asked sadly. Squall looked away._

"_Just... not used to it, that's all." he replied. "You should probably get in your seat." he added, jerking his head at her seat. Rinoa held onto him more tightly, placing her head in the space between his head and his shoulder._

"_Just a little while longer..." she pleaded. Squall sighed and didn't force her out. 'You'd... you'd be safer in your seat,' Squall thought. "Didn't you ever feel like this when your parents held you?" Rinoa asked finally. Squall shook his head._

"_I don't really remember my parents... but... Ellone was there. Ellone was there to hold my hand. I'm afraid..." he stopped. Rinoa looked up at him, waiting for him to finish. When he didn't, she decided to fill in._

"_You were afraid of losing us?" she asked. "That's why you kept your distance..." she added. _

—

Squall awoke, feeling slightly confused as well as scared. What had been with that dream? It seemed so real... yet, it wasn't. Squall wondered for a moment why Rinoa had been in it, why they had been alone like that out in space. And, why his dream-self hadn't shoved Rinoa away when she attempted to lie in his arms. Had he gone completely insane? Squall sat up, and decided he was going to go for a walk. To where, he didn't know. _Maybe... down by the sea._ Squall thought. He grabbed his jacket that he had taken off before going to bed, and headed down the stairs. Selphie was still watching something on TV, and he didn't bother telling her where he was going, or leaving a note. He never did.

**A/N:** Well, there's the chapter. Before I get it out, I want to address a few things in this particular chapter.

A) Devin asking about Selphie and Squall.

The reason for this is not because everybody's life seems to revolve around them— I know it seems that way, and I apologize for that, but just so you know, that isn't why. I can't say much without giving away everything, but basically there will be difficulties with Rinoa and Devin, because of who their friends are, particularly when Rinoa learns who Devin's friends are... -hint, hint-. If you wanted to take a guess, it probably wouldn't be very hard. I can't really tell for sure, since I already know myself, but I don't think it is. Think about that one.

B) The dream about space.

Firstly, sorry if it was a bit incorrect in some ways, I was going entirely from memory and I haven't been at that part of the game for awhile, SO... you can understand, I'm sure. Anyways, I just had to include it as a dream, since part of it makes sense with Squall in this story— mostly, the being "distant" from everyone. The rest was just something I wanted to use to confuse Squall. Sorry if it seemed, well, a bit... cheesy? Lame? Something along those lines.

C) Rinoa's relationship overall with Devin.

Firstly, they won't be a couple overly long, as that was never the plan. Devin was a character thrown into the story for one main purpose, and if anything else happened after that to make the story work, great. The purpose, I can't say, but you should learn probably in chapter 15, possibly a few chapters later depending on if I change my mind on how to work this out which I may. Feel free to guess in your reviews, but I can't confirm anything since that would ruin the... well, "surprise" although I don't know how surprising it will be in the end, since it might be a tad predictable.


	14. First Dates and Mysterious Dreams Part 2

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter. I'm glad that for the most part you guys liked it, and I appreciate any words of advice any of you may have for me. As this is my first FF VIII story, and I wish to continue with that type of story, any words of advice that you may have for me will be greatly appreciated. And if you'd like me to check out your story, just let me know and I'll do the same for you.

**Apology:** I don't know how many of you have tried to email me, but it recently occurred to me that some of you were and I apologize if it took me awhile to answer or if I never did. If you are not on my hotmail contacts list, then it automatically goes to my junk mail folder as it is easier then me having to sort my mail every time I check it. So if I haven't replied to you, it just means its been a week and it automatically deleted since it was in the junk mail folder. Didn't want anyone thinking I had ignored them, since that's not the case.

**Disclaimer:** As usual, I don't own Final Fantasy VIII, so yeah.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Fourteen: First Dates and Mysterious Dreams Part 2

_(Resuming Regular POV)_

Rinoa found that she had, before long, forgotten entirely about her earlier conversation with Devin. He had come off rather rude about her friends, but after that he hadn't done anything to make her have second thoughts about going on this date. She was entirely caught up in the play before long, and didn't even seem to notice that Devin didn't have much time to talk to her as he was recording the play.

After the first hour had passed, a voice came on over the intercom saying that the first intermission had begun and that the play would resume at nine. That meant a half hour intermission, so Rinoa and Devin walked out into the lobby and bought a drink while they waited. No drinks were allowed inside of the actual stage area, but they could drink it out in the lobby during intermission. They walked over to a corner and sat down on a bench and Devin smiled at Rinoa.

"So, what do you think of the play so far?" he asked her, taking another drink of his Pepsi. Rinoa put the lid on her bottle of sprite and then crossed her arms, glancing out the window.

"It's really good," she replied absentmindedly. She hadn't lied; she had really enjoyed the play so far, and Devin's sister was an extraordinarily talented actress, at least from what she had seen. Yet, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about how Squall had said to Angelo that he was thinking about her. She knew she shouldn't be that way— after all, she was on a date! But it was on her mind anyways. _Why, Squall?_ Rinoa thought. _What reason could you possibly have for thinking about me?_ Devin brushed a strand of hair out from Rinoa's face and tucked it behind her ear.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, concerned. Rinoa forced on a smile.

"Nothing, just wishing intermission was over and we were back inside watching the play," she replied in a false cheery voice. Devin must have believed her, for he brought up several conversations speaking of other plays his sister had been in, others that she had wrote personally herself, and asking Rinoa what some of her favourite plays had been. The conversation carried them all throughout the intermission, and soon, the play had started, and the two of them resumed silence as they watched the play unfold, telling a tale of murder, treachery, and love.

—

_(Squall's POV)_

Squall kicked a stone on the ground, hands in his pockets. He had no idea where he was going, or why he insisted on leaving suddenly without explanation. He just knew he needed to get out, and get some fresh air. He saw some girls staring at him, giggling, and he glared in their direction and they scattered off. They were younger than him, around fourteen, and he knew that he was considered attractive to many. He wished he wasn't, because then nobody would bother him, ever, but he knew he'd have to deal with it. At least he wasn't conceited about it as many were. He just ignored it and if he saw someone look remotely interested in him, he made sure they never were again. He didn't need people interested in him, and he didn't need friends. Before his father had found him, he had decided he hadn't needed anyone.

_What's the point of friends?_ Squall thought to himself. _Why have friends, everyone can make it on their own?_ Squall thought. He didn't understand why people felt such a need to rely on others. Why rely on others? They could easily let you down, and then what? You'd feel disappointment, regret. _You'd feel... alone. But that's how I feel now. What's the difference?_ Squall thought. He saw that he had walked all the way past the pool near the theater and he saw Rinoa sitting near a window. Did she see him? _No..._ he thought to himself. _She's too busy talking to her date. Rinoa... _Squall shook his head. He felt like a moron. He decided that he'd head for home, after he did one last stop at the school. He wanted to get something from his locker. He looked at his watch, and saw it was after nine. _Might still be open... they had the ninth graders parent/teacher conferences tonight. If not, I could break in..._ Squall thought. He walked up to the school, and tried to open the door. It opened easily, and he walked inside.

The school was very dark, which didn't make much sense to Squall. Why would it be so dark, if the doors were still unlocked? He shrugged off the strange feeling he had started to get, and continued walking through the halls. _If only I hadn't forgotten that stupid textbook I need. Why teachers insist on giving us huge tests when we've only started a unit is beyond me._ He thought bitterly. He had begun to really dislike school for some reason... perhaps it was the fact that everyone seemed to think, as they did every year, that they could suddenly talk to him. 'Oh, another summer has gone by, let's see how old Squall's feeling, maybe he's a little more friendly this year.' When would they learn he was who he was, and always would be?

Squall saw out of the corner of his eye something move, a shadow darting across the wall, but he shook off any feeling he had of being watched. He was being ridiculous... he wasn't afraid of the dark, he hadn't been since he was little, so why all of a sudden was he so paranoid? The answer soon came as he made it to his locker, and as he opened it, a hand went over his mouth, and as Squall struggled to be free of the strange persons surprisingly strong grip, he found that he was soon falling unconscious, and everything went dark.

—

_(Seifer's POV)_

Seifer Almasy stared down at the teen who had fallen unconscious, wondering what had caused him to pass out. Seifer had a young sister his family had adopted, who was there waiting for their parents at the conference. Seifer had agreed to come and keep her company, since they would be leaving right after the conference for the weekend. It was then that the power had gone out, and he had rushed to find his sister to see if she was alright. That was when he had found Squall Leonhart on the ground, knocked out, looking as lifeless as possible.

Normally, Seifer would just walk away from Squall– they were enemies, they had been since they were young. But he knew that something was wrong, not just with Squall, but with the entire school. _Its not like Leonhart will ever know. I'll just tell a teacher to come check him out, and then go. Idiot... looks like I'm not the only one he tries to pick a fight with. _Seifer stood up, and walked towards one of the classrooms. The lights turned back on, and he informed a teacher about Squall's state, and left. Squall would never know that Seifer had ever done anything that was remotely nice, and Seifer would not change his attitude towards Squall.

"Seifer, where were you?" Mrs. Almasy asked, rushing over, concerned. Seifer moved away as she attempted to hug him.

"Around." he replied curtly. His mother backed away, and forced a smile.

"...we're ready to leave now." she replied. Seifer shrugged, and followed them. He glanced back, confused about why he hadn't just left Squall where he was. Perhaps Fujin was right... perhaps, he was beginning to grow up. He was unsure if that was a good, or a bad thing. He thought back to the day, during the last few days of summer, when he had encountered Squall at the school.

_Seifer laughed as Fujin chased Raijin around, cursing at him and shouting words like, "RAGE, DEAD." Raijin had been teasing Fujin about something, Seifer hadn't caught exactly what, and whatever he had said, Fujin was clearly fuming. Raijin ducked as Fujin attempted to smash his head._

"_Fujin, I was only kidding, ya know?" he exclaimed, but he didn't stop running. Fujin ran even faster, and Seifer had to hold on to the fence for support. He had always found it terribly entertaining whenever Fujin got angry at Raijin. After Fujin caught Raijin and began beating him, Seifer noticed Squall attempting to walk away. His eyes narrowed, and he motioned for the others in his group to follow. After hitting Raijin one last time, Fujin jogged up next to Seifer, and they stopped and surrounded Squall. _

_Squall crossed his arms, and sighed. It seemed that this group honestly had nothing better to do than bother him, since that seemed to be a favourite past time of theirs. Seifer stepped into the center of the circle, smirking at Squall._

"_Look who it is," he replied softly. "Leonhart. What brings you here? Come to beg us to be nice to you?" he asked. Squall glared at him, but didn't reply. To him, Seifer didn't deserve any form of a reply from Squall, even if it was a retort. He turned around and attempted to shove his way out of the circle that now surrounded him, but he found it much more difficult than he had originally intended. _

"_Damn it Seifer, get the hell away from me." Squall replied finally. Seifer glanced at the others, and smiled._

"_But I was having so much fun..." he replied. Squall shoved past him, and Seifer waved him away._

"_Ahh, your no fun, Leonhart. I don't have time for your bullshit, but once school starts..." Squall turned around, never being one to just leave and ignore something someone said. Well, at least if it was coming from Seifer himself._

"_That scar on your arm is there because you can't keep your mouth shut." Squall reminded him. Seifer rolled up his sleeve and glanced at the scar that went along his arm, and he smirked._

"_Ahh, really now? I thought I got it from a night alone with your sister, she seems like the scratching type," Seifer added. Squall jumped at him, clearly angry. Seifer punched him in the face, and Squall covered his now bleeding nose. "You have your own scars from not being able to control your temper," Seifer replied mockingly. Squall glared at him, but heard a voice calling him and stopped. _

"_...the hell? Always in trouble, aren't you Squall?" A voice asked. Squall turned around and glared. "Forget it, Squall, he's not worth it," Zell added. Squall closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. He shoved past Zell and continued walking away. Zell scratched his head, and turned to Seifer._

"_Do you always have to be such an ass?" he asked. Seifer smirked and looked at his friends, as if exchanging an inside joke with them just by looking at them._

"_Looks like we have the chicken wuss on our case now, better back down guys, he's got fists of steel," Seifer pretended to be terrified, and Zell glared at him._

"_Don't call me a chicken wuss!" Zell shouted. The sounds of someone running were heard, and Zell turned around and saw Irvine._

"_There you are! Whoa, Seifer, what are you doing here?" Irvine asked. Seifer glared at Irvine with distaste._

"_None of your business, Kinneas." Seifer spat. Irvine held his hands up in the air and backed up a few steps._

"_Whoa, cool it man. Zell, let's go. By the way, I think Squall's pissed at you now, I'd avoid him for... oh, the rest of your life?" Irvine replied. Zell looked down at the ground, wanting to slam his fist into it, but knowing better than to do that, because it would hurt._

"_What the hell? Why's he mad at me?" Zell asked. Seifer started roaring with laughter._

"_Aww, did the two of you have a lovers spat?" _

—

_(Squall's POV)_

_(A/N: By the way, can someone please point out the name of the nurse in the game? Dr Kadawaki? Something like that, if you could let me know so I know for future reference, that be great. I'd just check the game, but I'm not exactly in a spot in the game that's anywhere NEAR Garden since I'm at the end of the game in Lunatic Pandora, sooo... thanks and ignore the most likely incorrect spelling of her name in this chapter)_

When Squall regained consciousness, he was sitting in the infirmary at the highschool. His head was pounding, and he was confused. What had happened? All he remembered was he had gone to his locker, and then... someone grabbed him. _Who, though?_ Squall thought. He held his head, which was throbbing painfully. He learned later from a very annoyedDr Kadowaki that he had hit his head pretty hard on the ground.

"But who found me?" Squall asked. He looked at Dr Kadowaki's frame, and doubted she could have brought him there by herself. She wasn't tiny, but she wasn't exactly a body builder, and Squall would have been considered a tad heavy for her to carry by herself. Dr Kadowaki didn't answer at first, as she was checking Squall's temperature. Finally, she sighed.

"Some teachers, they were tipped off that you had passed out. Have you been feeling sick at all lately?" she asked him.

"What? Oh, no, I haven't. So, who tipped them off?" Squall asked. Dr Kadowaki felt for his pulse in his wrist, checking to see if it seemed in any way abnormal. It didn't.

"It doesn't matter who tipped them off," she replied impatiently. "What matters is I have a patient on my hands who passed out without any given reason. You have no fever, your pulse is perfectly fine, and you say you aren't sick. Have you been drinking or doing any drugs tonight?" Dr Kadowaki asked. It took Squall a moment to register just what she was asking him. Once he finally realized what she had said, he shook his head furiously.

"No!" he exclaimed. "I'm not a moron," he added. "The only time I drink is if I'm having something at dinner with my parents, like wine or champagne... and if I did drugs, wouldn't I be high? I... I came back to my locker. I forgot something and I needed it for the weekend, but when I got there..." Squall trailed off. Just who had it been that had come to him and knocked him out? Why hadn't he been able to stop the person before they managed to... to do whatever it was that had caused him to fall unconscious? Something occurred then to Squall.

"Dr Kadowaki..." he replied slowly. Dr Kadowaki looked up from what she was doing, and Squall continued. "The ninth graders had the parent/teacher conferences tonight. Why were the lights off?" Squall asked.

"Well, that's an interesting question, and to be honest, I haven't the slightest idea. The power just went off, and then it came on and you were being carried in here. Funny, isn't it?" she asked cheerfully. _Funny? Oh yeah, me getting knocked out is hilarious._ Squall thought sarcastically. He leaned back in the bed as Dr Kadowaki grabbed a needle.

"Well, normally I wouldn't do this, but it seems very odd that you would pass out like that, with no visible signs of trouble, so I'm going to take a bit of blood from you for some tests, see if there's anything in your system. Perhaps something slipped into a drink, or your food, and if that's happened, it could be dangerous. Besides, its only a little blood." Dr Kadowaki added. Only a little? Several vials of blood later, she stopped and smiled.

"Do needles bother you?" she asked, as she saw Squall grimaceHe shook his head.

"No, just... I don't particularly like seeing my own blood. Can I leave, now?" Squall asked impatiently. Dr. Kadowaki frowned.

"I don't know. Call home for a ride." she told him. "I won't have you walking out of here, you might pass out again." she added. Squall groaned. _Call home? But... nobody is home._ _Except Selphie..._ at that thought, Squall shuddered. Great, Nico was gone, his dad was gone, and he had no friends. He would have just walked out normally, but he knew that Dr. Kadowaki wouldn't let him. He sighed, realizing he would never forgive himself for this. He grabbed the phone that Dr. Kadowaki was holding out for him, and began dialing a number.

"Hey, Zell?" Squall sighed, regretting this already. "Think you could come to the school? I'll explain later," he added.

—

_(Zell's POV)_

"Come to the school? Why?" Zell asked. There was the sound of a frustrated sigh on the other end of the phone.

"I'll explain later." was the only reply he got, so Zell walked over next door to the Leonhart's home and knocked. Selphie answered, and Zell scratched his head.

"Squall just called me." he started. Selphie looked at him confused.

"You're JOKING!" she gasped. Zell shook his head, seeming startled himself.

"No, he asked me for a... ride. Think Rinoa's gotten to him yet?" Zell asked, grinning. Selphie shrugged.

"Who knows? But if she's starting to... maybe we'll actually get him to _talk _to us like we're his... friends!" Selphie exclaimed. She seemed excited at that thought. "Ooh this is so exciting!" she exclaimed. Zell laughed.

"Whoa, calm down there. I doubt things will change that drastically... still, I wonder why he needs a ride?" Zell asked.

"Who knows? Just go get him, and call over here and tell me what happened." Selphie demanded. Zell grinned.

"Sure, sure..." he replied. He tossed his keys into the air, and got into the car in the driveway next door.

"Wait!" Selphie called. "Don't you need an adult with you? You don't have your proper license yet, Zell..." she added. Zell shrugged.

"Hey, it only counts if you get caught."

**A/N:** Well, how was that? Hopefully at least half decent, hmm who was going after Squall? No its not like some random mystery I threw in there, its been planned awhile, someone who is... -dun dun dun!- _jealous_! Anyways... review, please. And tell me how to spell the doctors name, if you know, lol since I can't remember. Oh and notice this chapter wasn't so much in Rinoa's POV and more everyone else's? That probably won't happen too overly often, it was a spur of the moment idea, but hopefully it wasn't overly confusing and if it was, I'll just need to work on it. Sorry I didn't get an update out last weekend, I actually had this chapter almost done on Sunday, but my dad needed the computer and I didn't get on the rest of the night. School's almost over, YAY! Well, not really yay... one of my best friends is moving, only like two hours away, but still. What's worse, her brother, whose two years older, is the guy I've liked since the moment I met him this year... -sigh- ahh, well. I've wrote several songs about him too, I may use one of them in one of my stories, not necessarily this one... hmm... perhaps I will. Anyways, R&R.


	15. Devin's Secret

**A/N:** Well, you guys REALLY seemed to like that chapter overall, with the bit of a cliff-hanger— I never really had a reason or a chance to do a cliff-hanger with this story yet, but you guys seemed to enjoy it so maybe I'll throw in more of them in the future, since I'm actually known for them in most of my other stories— mostly, Fantastic Four: A New Addition, Secrets Can Be Deadly, A Marauder's Tale and Grand Theft Autumn since they're like fighting/mystery type stories. The others are mostly like this one, but they have a few cliffies. Anyway, you know what I noticed? All throughout the game, Fujin talks with like one or two words to explain something, you know like, "DECISION. DESTROY, HELP SEIFER." (I remember that one since I fought them like ten times in the game until I realized an easy way to beat them that made me feel like a moron, lol) and then when you go to get Ellone in Lunatic Pandora, she talks like that and all of a sudden she's talking normal— it was so . . . well, unusual, really. I had to check back to see if it was actually her or Raijin talking instead. (Yeah, GO ME I'm finally on Disc 4, lol . . . ) So anyway, here's the next chapter and I'll stop my blabbering.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**THANKS!** I was talking to trippylad on MSN while working on this chapter, and -gasp!- was at a loss for a girl's name for some reason. I mean I know millions of them but none seemed right so he pointed out one I actually never even considered— and thus, Devin's sister was named Alyssa. Thanks!

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Fifteen: Devin's Secret

_(Squall's POV)_

Squall was forced to remain inside the Infirmary, because even though he had called Zell for a ride, Dr. Kadowaki hadn't quite trusted that Squall wouldn't just take off on his own anyway. After all, everyone knew Squall to be a bit of a loner, and this wasn't about to be an exception. She occasionally took his temperature while waiting for Zell to come, just to see if perhaps it had gone up at all. If anything, it had gone down a few point percent's. Squall sat on the bed, and sighed with relief when he saw Zell pop into the Infirmary. Squall turned to Dr. Kadowaki.

"Now can I leave?" he asked her. She nodded, and Squall followed Zell outside. He sat down in the passenger's seat of Zell's car, and Zell started driving for the Leonhart home. After a few moments, Zell couldn't stop himself. He was dying with curiosity to know what had happened, so when he had to slow down and stop because of a red light, he turned to Squall.

"What exactly happened, Squall?" he asked him. He wasn't sure if he expected an answer— he definitely hoped to get one, but Squall was still the same old guy he had ever been, and it was very likely Zell wouldn't receive one. However, Zell was shocked when Squall actually answered.

"I don't know." He replied finally. "I went to the school, someone grabbed me, and I woke up in the infirmary." Zell whistled and continued driving as the light turned green. He heard his cell ringing and he grabbed it. He didn't want to check it while driving, so he looked at Squall apologetic and pulled over and parked. He answered the phone.

"Hello?" he replied. Squall stared out the window. They were parked right near the sea, so he stared out at it. The moon was reflecting off the water, and Squall suddenly wished he lived on some abandoned island, on the ocean, where he could live by himself, with no one around to ever bother him— ever. _Who would be mad at me enough to knock me out? Was Seifer there? But . . . no, if it had been Seifer who knocked me out, he for sure would have said something to me first, he wouldn't want it to be a mystery, he'd want to brag to me about what he was going to do. But then who else hates me enough? Was it even me they were after? Damn, I hate this. _Squall thought. He saw that Zell had begun driving again, only he had turned around.

"Slight change of plans, Squall." Zell replied as he continued driving back in the direction of the infirmary. "Sorry about that, but Rinoa needs me to pick her up. I guess her date's sister got sick after the play, and he had to take her to the hospital. He was going to take Rinoa home, but she told him to focus on his sister. I told her already before that I'd pick her up. You guys are headed for the same place anyway, so it shouldn't be that big a deal, right?" Zell replied cheerfully. Squall returned to staring out the window.

"Whatever." He replied finally.

—

_(Rinoa's POV)_

Rinoa had been enjoying the play since the second half started, when all of a sudden she noticed that Devin's sister ran off stage during her lines. The audience immediately began talking in hushed tones, as several other actors rushed off. Devin stopped recording and ran to the backstage entrance to see what was wrong. Someone came on stage, and the lights were dimmed down again. The man who had come out tapped the microphone before speaking.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm sorry to say that our actress, Miss Alyssa McLaughlin is, unfortunately, ill. She will not be able to perform in the rest of tonight's show," he replied. The disappointment was evident, as everyone had thoroughly enjoyed Devin's sister Alyssa's performance. It seemed that Alyssa was a fairly popular actress already, at least to those who had been to all of the plays Alyssa had starred in. "However," the man continued over the voices that had broke out. "Her understudy will be filling in her position, starting at the start of this scene. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience!" he replied. He stepped off the stage, the curtains closed, and then reopened to show the actors in their places, and someone filling in for Alyssa. Rinoa quietly stood up and walked over near the backstage entrance. There was someone blocking the door now, and he wouldn't allow Rinoa to pass.

"Sorry," he replied roughly. Rinoa smiled.

"It's okay. I really didn't need to go back there. But could you possibly bring Devin over here for a moment? He's the one with Alyssa McLaughlin," Rinoa added. The man nodded and motioned at Devin to come over.

"I'm really sorry about this, Rinoa," Devin replied apologetically. Rinoa smiled and shrugged.

"It's okay, really!" she told him. He walked over and helped his sister, who had just came out of the change room as she had previously been in her costume. Once they got outside, Devin helped his sister in the backseat. He opened the passenger's side for Rinoa, but she didn't get in. Devin pulled her over to the side and stared at her, concerned.

"Rinoa, what's wrong?" he asked her. Rinoa sat down on a bench outside of the theater.

"Nothing, but you should take your sister to the hospital, make sure she gets there in one piece too!" Rinoa replied. "I'll call for a ride." She added. Devin smiled and outstretched a hand to help her up.

"You don't have to call for a ride. I'll take you home." Devin told her, attempting to lead her to his car. She stopped.

"Take your sister to the hospital, that way you don't have to worry about taking me home after you drop her off, you can stay with her there." Rinoa replied.

"Then I'll drop you off first," he decided.

"No, really," Rinoa replied. "Just take her, I'll be fine, I already had someone to pick me up in case . . . " _In case what?_ Rinoa thought. _In case the date went terribly wrong and I decided to go home? I can't tell him that, _Rinoa thought. "In case something happened. It was unlikely, but it couldn't hurt to be prepared, and looks like it came in handy. I'm calling Zell, and he'll probably bring Selphie or something with him." Rinoa replied. She noticed how Devin seemed to have changed, his entire mood was different and he was no longer smiling, and there was something about his expression . . . she couldn't quite figure out what, but it bothered her. Scared her, even.

"Oh." Was all he said. "Well, I better go then. See you," he replied. And with that, he got into his car and drove off, leaving a stunned Rinoa behind. Okay so she had told him that she was getting a ride, but he couldn't have stayed to see if she found someone? Or just to make sure she was . . . well, okay? Not that it was a big deal, not really, but it would have been nice. She didn't know what he had against her friends, but it seemed whenever she mentioned them, he was, well . . . different. Rinoa pulled out her cell phone and dialed Zell's home number. When she got only the answering machine, she panicked— _great, I'm going to be stuck here, with no ride. I'll have to walk home, and its dark, cold, and who knows what kind of people wander the roads at night— I've never been out at night without a ride, at least not here! _Rinoa thought. She took a deep breath, and told herself not to panic. She decided she would simply call Zell's cell, and hope that for some reason he had just not heard the phone ringing.

"Hello?" she heard on the other end. Rinoa sighed with relief.

"Zell! I need you to pick me up, Devin's sister got sick and he had to take her to the hospital," Rinoa explained.

"So he just LEFT you there?" shouted Zell on the other end.

"No, well I mean yes, but I told him to. Listen, can you just come and get me?" Rinoa asked, slightly impatient now.

"Sure, gee you and Squall sure know how to pick a night for a ride, huh?" Zell asked.

"Squall's with you?" Rinoa asked, disbelieving. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, he'll explain to you later, so we'll be there in like two minutes." Zell replied. Rinoa thanked him and turned off her cell, before she walked into the lobby and bought herself another soda. As she sat down and waited, her thoughts drifted to Squall. _I thought he said he didn't need anybody . . . _she thought, amused. _So if he doesn't need anybody, why did he actually call Zell for a ride? Actually, why did he even need a ride? He walks around at night all the time, _Rinoa thought. She shook her head. _Great, even now I'm thinking about it. Get it under control, Rinoa. _She told herself. She saw Zell's car pull up to the curb and she walked over and opened the back door. As she got in, and put her seatbelt on, she turned to Zell.

"Thanks, Zell. I'm really sorry, but his sister should have got to the hospital quickly, and I wouldn't want him having to leave his sister while she waited at the hospital, just to drop me off. Hey, Squall," Rinoa replied. Squall turned and glanced at her, but said nothing. Rinoa crossed her arms, annoyed. He could have at least PRETENDED to care and say hi. She flicked him in the ear before sitting back in her seat, and Squall turned to her.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked her. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"You were being mean." She informed him. Squall rolled his eyes and faced the front again.

"Whatever."

—

_(Squall's POV)_

When Zell finally pulled into the Leonhart's driveway, Rinoa got out and walked inside. She turned around in the doorway and smiled.

"Do you want to come in Zell? Selphie's here," Rinoa added. Zell got out of the car, and shrugged.

"Sure," he replied. He turned to Squall, who was still standing near the car door. His arms crossed, he turned to Zell.

"Thanks." He replied finally. He walked inside the house, and went into his room. He needed time to think, to figure out what was going on. _I just don't get why someone would want to knock me out. I know I'm not exactly friendly to everyone, but who would do that? Seifer's the only one who hates me enough, but it's not like him to not brag about it. He would have left something behind, to tell me it was him. But . . . maybe he did. I woke up in the Infirmary, I never looked back near my locker. Damn . . . why the hell did I have to forget that textbook?_ Squall thought angrily. He sat on his bed, and leaned his head on his hands, staring moodily into space. Then he smacked himself and shook his head. _That damn textbook . . . I still didn't get it. _He sighed and walked back downstairs. He couldn't go to the school, but Zell was in his class. _Great, now they're going to think that I'm . . . nice, or changing. _

When Squall reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw that Zell, Rinoa and Selphie were sitting in the living room, laughing about something. Sighing, he walked to the doorway, and stood there. Finally Rinoa noticed him, and he was disturbed by her staring at him.

"Zell . . . " Squall replied finally. Zell looked at him, shocked.

"Yeah?" Squall saw Selphie giggling and glared at her. He ignored Rinoa completely, because he knew that if he looked at her he'd see she was still watching him. He didn't know what her problem was, but it was going to drive him insane if it continued.

"Do you have your textbook—" Squall was cut off by Selphie falling off the couch, and she rubbed her head.

"That hurt . . . " she replied softly. She noticed Squall rolling his eyes, and stuck her tongue out at him, causing Rinoa to laugh. Selphie grinned and got back up on the couch.

"For that history assignment? Yeah, why? Oh was that why you were at the school?" he asked. Rinoa and Selphie both looked confused, and Squall sighed.

"Yes, that's why I was at the school. Can I . . . " Squall took a deep breath. "Borrow it?" he asked finally. Zell nodded.

"Sure," he replied. "I'll go get it now, wait here." He told Squall. He walked outside and got into his car, backing it up and pulling in his own driveway. Not because he couldn't walk just a few feet away, but because he had to get it out of the Leonhart's driveway eventually. Meanwhile, inside the Leonhart's home, Squall had walked into the kitchen to get something to drink. He had just started to walk back into the living room with some water, when he heard Selphie talking to Rinoa, and stopped. He shouldn't have eavesdropped, he knew after all it was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself. They were talking about him, after all. Didn't he deserve to know what they said about him?

"Rin, why were you staring at Squall like that? I mean even he noticed it," Selphie replied. Rinoa's head shot up.

"He did?" she asked quietly. Selphie nodded. Rinoa stared back down at the carpet, and didn't say anything. Finally, she stood up and started to walk away, but Selphie grabbed her arm.

"Rinoa . . . what's wrong?" Selphie asked. "You haven't been yourself since you got back. Did Devin do something? If he said anything mean to you, I'll tell Squall!" Selphie threatened. Rinoa couldn't help but laugh.

"I doubt Squall would do anything if you _did _tell him, Selph, but thanks anyway. And no, Devin . . . he didn't do anything. Or say anything that would bother me. It's just . . . " Rinoa sighed. "I don't know," she replied finally. And it was the truth— she didn't know what was wrong with her. Squall went back into the kitchen, thinking about what he had overheard. _Something's up with Rinoa . . . well, it's her problem. _He told himself. When he was sure that the subject had changed from him, he walked into the living room and sat down in a chair far away from the girls. _Still, I wonder why she was watching me. To be honest, it was almost as if . . . _Squall stopped thinking when he heard Zell come crashing in, swearing in the process. Standing up, Squall walked over to where Zell had fallen, and saw that he had tripped over the front step to get in. _Idiot . . . _ _he's been here how many times, and he still forgets that's here?_ Squall thought. And then he did something that he never meant to, and never expected to— stretched his hand out to Zell to help him up. Clearly Zell was stunned, because he sat there. Squall pulled his hand back, realizing what he had just done.

"Fine, get up by yourself." Squall replied. He grabbed the textbook from the floor, and began walking up the stairs. Zell sat up, and scratched his head.

"What's wrong with Squall?"

—

_(Rinoa's POV)_

That night, Rinoa sat in her room, in total darkness. She didn't want to turn on her light, because if she did, she knew that would tell everyone in the house she was awake, and then Nico or Laguna would come talk to her. She didn't know what was wrong with her, but it was starting to bother her. All of a sudden, her cell phone started going off, and she picked it up off her bed. She had received a message from Devin, saying that he was sorry things didn't turn out that night. Rinoa tossed her cell back on the bed, and sighed. She hadn't even thought of the date since it had ended— that wasn't right, was it? _Sorry Devin, but right now you're not the guy on my mind. For some strange reason, Squall is. Still. What's wrong with me?_ She thought. She walked over to her desk, and pulled out a photo album she had brought with her from Deling. Opening it, she flipped through the pages until she found the picture she had been looking for. A young Julia with a young Laguna, smiling as their picture was being taken. _Squall really does look so much like Laguna . . . but I look nothing like my mother . . . everyone says I do, but . . . I just don't see it. Mom . . . _Rinoa put the photo album away, and fell face first on her bed, and began crying quietly into her pillow. She wasn't aware of the person standing outside of her door, hearing her crying, and feeling bad and confused. Finally, Rinoa fell asleep, still in her clothes, and with tears still streaming down her face.

—

_(Devin's POV)_

After Devin had taken his sister to the hospital, he had been told that she would have to stay overnight to be monitored until they could do some tests the next morning when more of their staff was working. Devin had argued with them, but to no avail. So, he had told his sister he would visit her, possibly the next day if she was still there by visiting hours, and drove off home. He told his mother what had happened and thrust the camcorder at her before running up the stairs into his room. Once up there, he picked up his cell and dialed.

"Hello?" came a voice from the other end. Devin sat down at his computer desk and turned on the laptop, before leaning back in his chair.

"I don't know how easy this is going to be, Ma'am," Devin replied finally. He could hear the muttered curses on the other end before he received a reply.

"You'll just have to try harder then, or else—"

"I am trying hard!" Devin replied angrily. "It's not my fault. She was too distracted the entire time! I don't think your plan is even going to work," he added bravely. He heard laughter on the other end, and it terrified him. _This woman, _he thought, _is insane!_

"Well then I suppose it's a good thing that what YOU think doesn't matter. You will do as I have told you to, or else I will have to tell everyone that your father is the reason Rinoa Heartilly's dear mother died— and that it was no accident. How would that make you feel? To be responsible for putting your father in jail." Devin slammed his hand into the desk.

"You can't do that!" he shouted angrily.

"Oh really? Slack off, and you'll see soon enough. Rinoa's father will regret ever allowing Rinoa to go to Balamb against my wishes, and Rinoa will regret every word she said to me when she returns home, heartbroken. You will do whatever it takes to make her want to come back to Deling. I don't care how you do it anymore. Just get it done." Devin heard the clicking sound on the other end, and threw his phone at his bed angrily. _Damn it! I can't allow her to do that. I. . . I know what dad did was wrong— accepting money from that . . . bitch . . . to cause an accident. But I don't want him to go to jail. And if he does, it. . . it will be my fault. Rinoa, I'm sorry. . . you're a nice person, but. . . I have to do this._ And with that, Devin had fallen asleep.

—

_(Rinoa's POV)_

When Rinoa woke up in the morning, she saw that she had slept in until almost eleven in the morning. Getting up, she grabbed her clothes that she planned to wear that day, and went into the bathroom across the hall to have a shower. Fully dressed, she emerged from the bathroom and walked down the stairs. For a change, she saw that Nico had stayed in that day, and had clearly heard Rinoa going into the bathroom because already she was in the middle of making scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast for Rinoa to have for breakfast. Rinoa sat at the table with a glass of orange juice, and saw Squall come down from his room. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, which shocked Rinoa. She had never seen him wear anything but jeans and a sweater of some kind. Obviously noticing her surprise, Squall sat down in his usual seat at the table.

"You didn't tell her." Squall replied. It wasn't a question— just a statement he had made to Nico. Nico smiled and brought over two plates practically overflowing with food, that Rinoa was sure she wouldn't be able to eat all of.

"I never saw her last night, Squall. She was in her room," she replied. Squall turned to Rinoa, but when Rinoa caught him look at her, he looked down at his plate and began eating. Rinoa smiled.

"Tell me what, Nico?" she asked. Nico smiled and sat down at the table with a cup of coffee.

"Oh, that we're going to the beach today! It's the only time I can drag Squall out of the house, he loves the sea," Nico added. Squall didn't reply, and Nico continued. "Most of the families go, though. Today's the barbecue that we hold every year to finish off summer, and it goes all day long. There's games for the younger children, and of course for you older teens, and then when the sun goes down there's the fireworks. We go every year," Nico added. "I believe that Mrs. Dincht is in charge of cooking, she's got some volunteers helping her. Although the men insist on doing the actual barbecuing, so mostly Mrs. Dincht and the volunteers make the salads and snacks, sometimes other things as well. And your friend, Selphie? Her mother is in charge of the games, and her father is one of the many fathers that will be barbecuing. So you'll get to have fun with your friends as well, and go swimming." Nico replied. Rinoa began eating, as Nico described some of the games that they had there every year. Angelo walked into the kitchen, and sat next to Rinoa. Rinoa laughed, and when she was done eating, she slipped him a piece of toast.

"Here boy," she replied, patting him on the head. Angelo ran off with it, and Rinoa took her plate into the kitchen. She passed Squall on the way back out, and couldn't help look up at him again before she walked into the dining room.

"Nico?" she asked. Nico turned to her and smiled.

"Yes Rinoa?"

"When are we leaving?"

**A/N:** Well there was a bit of a longer chapter for you, and now you've found out what the TRUE point of Devin's character was— although he's excellent to use to bother Squall and perhaps make him jealous, it's actually -gasp!- Rinoa's stepmother attempting to have Rinoa come back to Deling on her own so she can be controlled by her again. To be honest, I did intend for it to be Seifer that was the reason for Devin, but then I played around with it today and I found it just didn't work. I mean, I could have made it work, but it didn't seem right and then I changed it to fit in better with the actual ending that I had planned. Which isn't too soon yet, but I just had to make it work out. After all, I can't forget the reason for the title of this story— I could, but I likely won't. Anyways, R&R, let me know what you thought of this chapter. Hopefully it wasn't too terrible, I was very unsure about this entire chapter so let me know so I can put my mind at ease. Oh and sorry for saying "bitch" in here lol it was meant to get across a point about Rinoa's stepmother, and I don't know if it would offend anyone. Probably not, but just in case. . . 'til next time!


	16. Barbecue on the Beach Part 1

**A/N:** Well here's the next chapter, it seems most of you DID think it was Seifer... its easy to fool readers if you change your original plan, lol. Anyways, story-wise, this will be entirely about the barbecue, YAY, and there should be more confrontations, bonding, etc. At least, that's the plan. Anyway, yes, Squall in shorts— never pictured it before either, lol, but I mean he can't swim in jeans! Hmm... well, hopefully you enjoy this chapter, it will be a little less about the whole "Secret" and "Who knocked Squall out?" and more about... well, fun in the sun... whoa, lame, I know, but hey... that's just how I do things. R&R.

**Error:** I'm surprised nobody noticed, I thought about it last night... I've been calling the house Rinoa and Squall live in the "Leonhart" home, but technically it's the Loire home, not Leonhart— Squall has his... mothers name, is it?... not Laguna's. lol so an error I made, sorry about that but I guess it was no big deal or else nobody noticed it. So from now on it'll be the Loire home, lol.

**Disclaimer:** Gee, I'll give you THREE _whole_ guesses what I'm going to say _here..._

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Sixteen: Barbecue on the Beach Part 1

After Nico had finished doing the dishes and packing a few things for the beach, they left. They would be meeting Laguna there, as he had to pick up some things with the other fathers for the barbecues.

"I think its just what they tell us they do," Nico replied once they were in the car. "In all honesty they probably have everything already bought, and they probably just go and get in their TV time before they have to stay outside all day," she said jokingly. Rinoa smiled, and resumed looking out the window. They were probably about ten minutes away from the beach still, at least the part that the barbecue was at, so Rinoa stretched and turned to Nico.

"So we're going there early, right?" Rinoa replied. "You said it starts at one, but its only 11:40 now." Rinoa glanced in the side view mirror, and saw Squall staring out the window. She continued to watch him through the mirror as Nico replied, "Oh, yes we'll be getting there early, because I have to help set things up and get the area for the little kids marked off so they can swim in the shallow water. Your friends will probably get there at about 12:30, that's when they start cooking and organizing games, but they might come earlier. You can go swimming for awhile if you want, or explore, you have your cell on you right?" she asked. Rinoa nodded. "Then if I need you, I'll call you." Nico told her. She pulled into the parking lot a few minutes later, and both Rinoa and Squall helped Nico unload the car of its beach stuff— towels, chairs, sun screen, the usual things. Nico told them to just put the towels set up anywhere near the water, so both of them did so silently. Angelo jumped out of the car and ran towards one spot on the beach, sat down and barked, so Rinoa decided that would be where they'd put everything. Squall didn't argue, and followed her, and both of them started to put everything in place. Rinoa was trying to fix the umbrella that was part of one of the chairs, but wasn't having much luck with it. Squall, who had just finished blowing up a beach ball, noticed her struggle and walked over.

"I'll get it," he replied quietly. Rinoa moved out of the way as Squall bent down to fix the chair. The umbrella popped up and remained standing.

"T-t-...thanks." Rinoa replied. She looked away quickly and began laying down a towel on the ground. She wasn't even paying attention to anything around her as she finished, when she jumped, hearing a splash. Turning, she saw that Squall had taken his shirt off and jumped into the water. She forced herself to look away, and was suddenly self-conscious, and not wanting to take her shirt off. When she had learned they were going to the beach, she had changed and put on her swimsuit, with a light blouse and wrap around skirt so that it was easy for her to change, and of course sweater and pants for when night time came and it was cooler out. Yet now, she wanted to be wearing several pants, sweaters, and have a hat and scarf to hide her entire face. _Get a grip Rinoa!_ She told herself. _Honestly, who cares what Squall thinks?_ With that in her mind, she decided she would explore and swim in a place far away from Squall. Although she knew she shouldn't feel self-conscious, she couldn't help it. She grabbed her own sun block and walked along the beach, ignoring Squall who seemed to be swimming towards a rock that was randomly placed a fair distance away from shore. Angelo started running towards her, and jumped. Falling into the sand, Rinoa moved her face out of the way as Angelo started licking it.

"Ew Angelo, stop it!" Rinoa replied laughing. She noticed muddy paw prints on her blouse, and groaned. _Great, now its either walk around in my swimsuit, or walk around with two muddy paw prints on my chest. I think I'll choose the swimsuit, _she thought to herself. Sighing, she made sure Squall wasn't looking at her— _as if he would, _she thought— before taking off her shirt. Deciding she was far enough away, and already half way out of her regular clothes, she untied her skirt and put one foot in the water. It was both warm and cool at the same time, refreshing, but not cold enough to make you shiver endlessly until your body adjusted to the temperatures. Taking a deep breath, Rinoa jumped in and swam for as long as she could underwater. Finally, when she emerged, she was shocked to see she had swam almost all the way to where Squall was sitting on the rock. She shook her head and told herself not to stare at him again, and turned to swim away when he spoke.

"Why were you crying last night?" he asked her quietly. Rinoa realized she could touch the ground, and so she stood there in the water, stunned. Had Squall honestly asked her why she was crying? _Oh no, someone DID hear me! _She thought. _But... why does he want to know why I was crying? Does he actually... maybe... care?_ Rinoa sighed and leaned against the other side of the rock. Squall looked down at her, waiting for an answer.

"I..." she started. "Well, it was just... I had a lot on my mind, you know about moving here and everything, and I was looking through this photo album my mother used to keep, and there was this picture of her and your dad when they were younger. And I just thought of how much you look like Laguna, whether you care to admit it or not, and how little I look like my mom... I look so much like my father that there's no room left to look like her. Yet everyone tells me that I look just like her, with a bit of my dad mixed in. I just don't get it... and I was sad because she's gone, and... I don't know." Rinoa replied finally. Once she had started speaking, the words had just flown from her mouth freely, so much easier than before. Squall was silent, thoughtful, for a moment, and Rinoa took a chance and looked up at him. He seemed almost... sad.

"Rinoa..." he replied softly. Rinoa turned around and looked at him. He had stopped speaking and was staring out at the tiny sailboat that was sailing further out at sea. "My mother's gone too," he replied finally. "It's okay to miss her, but you have to stop crying over her. She wouldn't want that," he added. He seemed embarrassed that he had even said anything— after all, it wasn't like him at all, and besides that, he had told her that he didn't need anyone, even her. He wasn't always mean to people, but he wasn't often nice. Rinoa smiled to herself, and looked down at the ground, glancing at the occasional small rock that was near her feet.

"Thank you," she replied quietly. She walked around and sat on the rock next to Squall, and leaned back on the almost flat surface, and stared at the sky. Squall watched her for a moment, before staring back at the sailboat. Rinoa heard Angelo barking, and glanced back at the shore. There was Selphie, jumping in the air, arms waving, and next to her was a smiling, but thoughtful Quistis. _Quistis!_ Rinoa thought. _I haven't seen her for so long, since she's not in our classes, and not since they were both at my house. I wonder where she's been?_ Rinoa smiled briefly at Squall, and then jumped back into the water and swam for shore. Squall sighed and decided he'd sit on the ground in the water. It was shallow enough near the rock, and that way he'd be hidden from view.

—

"Rinoa, what's with your shirt? There's muddy prints all over it," Selphie replied, pointing at the shirt that was laying on the ground. Rinoa got out of the water and grabbed the shirt, walking towards where she and Squall had set up the beach chairs and towels. Grabbing one, she wrapped herself up and sat down.

"Oh, Angelo jumped all over me when I left him behind and got it muddy," Rinoa replied cheerfully. Quistis and Selphie exchanged a look, but Rinoa didn't notice. She took the lid off the cooler that was between two of the chairs, and grabbed herself a drink, offering Quistis and Selphie one as well— they both refused.

"So tell us, what were you doing sitting out there with Squall?" Selphie asked slyly. Rinoa picked up on Selphie's possible hidden meaning and flushed.

"Talking." she replied briefly. She opened her bottle of water, and drank a few sips before placing it in the cooler— she took off the label so they would know it was opened if they didn't look at the cap— and stuck her feet in the sand.

"It's her business, leave her be," Quistis chastised. Selphie put on a fake pout before smiling again when she noticed Irvine and Zell struggling to open a chair. She was soon watching them— or more like Irvine— and had stopped focusing on Rinoa entirely.

"So Rinoa, is the water cold?" Quistis asked, trying to make conversation with the still blushing furiously girl. Rinoa shook her head, glad for the change of subject.

"No, not at all, it's really nice." she replied. She saw that Selphie had leaned back on the ground, laughing, and glanced at Irvine and Zell. A very angry Zell was lying on the ground in a small hole that some of the younger kids had started to dig before abandoning it to go play in the water, and was now being covered in sand by two boys who were laughing loudly. Zell attempted to stand up, but they shoved dirt down his shirt and he started shaking trying to get it out. Irvine just stood there, and laughed. After Zell was completely covered with a thin layer of sand, Irvine convinced the kids to go play somewhere else. Zell sat up, sand falling from him, and glared.

"You couldn't have done that sooner, could you?" Rinoa heard him shout. Irvine just laughed and noticed the girls, before starting to walk over. Zell got up and shook the sand off as best as he could before following. They both plopped down on the ground and Zell kept throwing angry glares in Irvine's direction.

"Hello, ladies," Irvine replied smoothly. Quistis smiled briefly before staring at the ground again, and Rinoa rolled her eyes and laughed. Selphie, however, was grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey Irvine!" she replied cheerfully. She turned to Zell. "Hey, Zell." she replied less enthusiastically. He crossed his arms and sat there, glaring at one of the boys who had helped to bury him. Rinoa looked around in the water but couldn't see Squall anywhere. Sighing, she stood up.

"I'm going to go swimming again," Rinoa replied, after Irvine finished telling everyone— well, only Selphie was really listening— a joke about the two blonde men from Balamb. Zell, seeming offended by the joke, glared even more at Irvine, who held his hands up.

"Whoa, if looks could kill... alright then Rinoa, we'll have to join you later," he replied winking. Rinoa walked slowly across the beach and jumped into the water again. She searched around with her eyes, looking for Squall, but he was nowhere to be found. Only when she returned to the rock, did she notice that Squall was sitting there. She sat next to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. He looked up at her, startled.

"Nothing." he replied. Rinoa stretched out her legs a bit before pulling them close to her and hugging her knees.

"Oh, you seemed like there was something wrong. Actually, your normally like that," she added as an afterthought. She looked over at him briefly before quickly looking away. "More people have arrived," she replied finally, trying to make conversation. "Your dad should be here by now. Do you normally go off on your own and hide from everybody when you come here?" Rinoa asked him.

"No." Squall replied.

"Didn't think so. So why are you now?" she asked him.

"Thinking." Rinoa started laughing, and Squall turned to her, confused. "What?" he asked her. Once she had calmed down enough to speak, she replied, "Nothing, you just haven't said more than one word at a time since I came here." she replied.

"Whatever."

"SEE!" she exclaimed.

"Fine, now I've said... four words." Squall replied.

"Technically six, you didn't count the last two words." Rinoa replied. Squall gave her a look that said, "Do-I-look-like-I-care?"

"Okay, I've said six words, at one time." he replied. He knew better then to argue with her, she was the type who wouldn't stop until he admitted she was right.

"Eight now, wow you're on a roll!" she replied, pretending it was a miracle.

"Did you come here just to bug me?" he asked her, irritated. She stopped laughing and looked away.

"No..."

"Did you come here to talk to me?" he asked her. She shook her head. "Then why did you come?" Rinoa stood up, and walked further out where the water was deeper, before going under. When she came back up, she turned to him.

"I didn't come here for _you,"_ she replied. "I was just swimming, I thought you had left since I didn't see you here." she swam away, and Squall shook his head. He could never understand the way her mind worked, and it was probably better for everyone if he didn't try.

—

_(Quistis' POV)_

After Rinoa had left to go swimming, Quistis had basically tuned out of the conversation that was going on. She wasn't the only one— Zell was still angry that Irvine had only laughed at him when the chair had somehow surprised him, causing him to fall into the hole that the kids had dug. She heard him mutter something that sounded like, _"Damn kids, who'd start a hole and then just leave it there..."_ She looked around, and saw that Rinoa had disappeared, probably under water. Selphie was too caught up in the conversation with Irvine to even notice that Quistis was acting strange and quiet. She often got into strange moods this way, but normally not at the barbecue— it was the event she looked forward to all year.

"I'm going to go and see if they need help setting up," Quistis replied quietly. Selphie looked over at her, finally noticing something was wrong. She asked, but Quistis just smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, don't worry." she replied. She had convinced Selphie, and so she walked over to where the games were being set up. She glanced over near the tables that were set up for when everyone was going to eat, and saw Seifer sitting there with Fujin and Raijin— they were there early, probably because their parents were helping out with the barbecue. Seifer glanced up and saw her, and he smirked, and she turned away quickly, forcing back any tears that threatened to spill over. She saw Nico setting up the games, and walked over to her.

"D-do you n-n-need any help?" Quistis asked. Her voice was shaking, and she silently cursed Seifer in her mind. _Damn him! Why does he always have to ruin everything? Why did he have to hurt me...?_ she thought. She pushed these thoughts aside, however, and focused on helping Nico. At the moment, they were setting the prizes up in a nice, orderly fashion on the table. Both were silent, but finally Nico stopped organizing the pile of prizes. Quistis looked at her and asked, "What?" Nico sighed, before sitting down on one of the chairs next to the table. Quistis did the same thing.

"Quistis, what's bothering you? You always seem... troubled." Nico replied. "Even when you come to visit with Rinoa, you never seem like happy. Something wrong?" Nico asked. Quistis looked in the direction of where Seifer was, and saw him picking on some tenth grader, and glared.

"No," she replied unconvincingly. Nico laughed.

"Come on now, I've had to help raise Squall, I know how he's like when something's bothering him and that's no easy task. So..." Nico replied, trailing off. She followed Quistis' gaze and saw Seifer. She frowned at his behaviour and shook her head.

"That boy always was trouble," she replied. "Is that what's bothering you? Seifer? He and Squall have been in a lot of fights since they were little, you know Squall was only four when Laguna found out that he had a son, and by the age of seven he and Seifer had gotten in so many fights that I actually became friends with the principal at their public school. Don't let him bother you," Nico replied gently. Quistis stopped watching him and nodded.

"Your right. It's time that I stopped allowing him to just... affect me like that. If I see him, I always get so depressed and angry at once. I just hope that doing that is as easy as saying it." Quistis added softly. Nico didn't press the subject, but she was curious as to why Quistis would get depressed and angry at Seifer. Clearly, it was more than just his habit of picking fights with everyone that bothered her. The two of them continued organizing the table, and then Quistis went and saw if Mrs. Dincht needed anyone else to help out. She had to walk right past Seifer to get there, but she ignored him completely, which not only stunned him, but made him angry. What gave her the right to ignore his presence? _Just ignore him. _Quistis told herself. _I'm tired of being depressed all the time! _With that thought stuck in her mind, Quistis continued walking over to the food table. She noticed Seifer was glaring at her direction, and she started to feel sad, but she forced herself to think of anything that would make her happy. She thought about what Nico had said about Seifer and Squall getting into fights, and pictured Squall beating Seifer badly— with that thought in her mind, she smiled as she helped put the food all out on the tables.

—

_(Squall's POV— also the last POV for the chapter!)_

After Rinoa had swam off, Squall had decided that it was probably time he got out of the water— he'd end up as wrinkly as his grandmother if he stayed in the water any longer— and he slowly swam back to shore. As he got out, he walked over to where the towels were, ignoring the fact that Rinoa's friends were there. They didn't ignore him, though, which bothered him as he grabbed his towel from his bag. He grabbed his shirt that was lying near the cooler where he had thrown it, and put it on. He felt as if he was being watched, and turned to see that Zell, Irvine, and Selphie were looking at him strangely.

"What?" he asked finally, getting up.

"Why were you and Rin sitting on that rock when Quistis and I got here?" Selphie asked. Squall thought for a moment. _Sitting on the rock... that was ages ago! Oh God, what did Rinoa tell them? Did she just allow them to think whatever the hell they wanted? _He thought. He made sure to quickly set them straight.

"She swam out there on her own. I didn't invite her," he replied. He left out the part about him asking her what had been wrong the night before, and the fact that he had attempted to comfort her. Now that he thought back on it, he felt like smacking himself in the head— why had he asked that? He didn't care, it wasn't his business! Now it was going to come back and haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Oh, when Selphie told us the two of you were on the rock together, we thought maybe the two of you had, ah..." Irvine replied suggestively. Squall glared daggers at him.

"_Nothing _happened Kinneas, and you can ask Rinoa that yourself. Ask her what happened; I won't tell you." he replied finally. He saw his father waving for him to come over, and left. As he walked away, he heard Zell ask, "Was it just me, or did he seem to be... embarrassed?" _Shut up, Zell! _Squall screamed in his head. _I wasn't embarrassed... why would I be? Rinoa should be embarrassed, she's the one who was crying last night._ Squall stopped at the barbecue and crossed his arms.

"What?" he asked, annoyed. Laguna flipped over a hamburger on the grill, and Squall noticed he was wearing a chef's hat. _He looks even more like an idiot._ Squall decided. He stopped himself from grinning, and waited for an answer.

"Where's Rinoa?" Laguna asked. "Nico was looking for her earlier; she's not answering her cell." Laguna added. Squall sighed.

"Do I look like her baby-sitter?" he asked finally. Laguna smiled and shook his head.

"No, but since I heard the two of you were—" Squall let out a frustrated groan and walked away. He walked over to Nico, to tell her he didn't know where Rinoa was.

"And I don't care," Squall added, for good measure. Nico smiled.

"Sorry Squall. Oh my, didn't you put on sun block? Your face has gone awfully red," she added. _My... face. Is it red? Why? I never get sunburned, and besides, I have sun block on anyways... _Squall thought. Sighing, he decided it was because Irvine had made that stupid comment— who KNOWS what they thought he and Rinoa had done before they got there. He didn't even want to think about it, and he knew that someone with Irvine's mind... well, they might just get the wrong idea.

"Uh, no, must have forgot, I'll do that now..." Squall lied. He walked away, and saw Angelo running over to him. The dog jumped up on him, and knocked him down. He finally pushed the dog off of him, and sat up, to see a flustered Rinoa running after Angelo.

"Sorry about that!" she replied breathlessly. "I was playing with him, tossing the frisbee and everything, and then he just started running this way after you!" Rinoa added. Squall shrugged.

"Doesn't matter." he told her. "Nico was looking for you," he added as Rinoa started to walk away. "They asked me where you were," Squall added. Rinoa looked at him confused.

"Why would you know where I was?" she asked him. He could tell her confusion was genuine, although she also seemed amused.

"That's what I said." he replied. He started to walk away, when Rinoa called to him again. He turned around and saw her grinning at him.

"You should really wear sun block!" she shouted at him. Then she turned around and went over to Nico. She had put her wraparound skirt back on, but he noticed she hadn't worn the blouse again. He shook his head and continued walking. _My face is still red? Maybe I did get sun burnt... _he thought. It made him feel better thinking that, then that he was embarrassed. But as he walked over to where Selphie, Irvine, and Zell were _(Where's Quistis?_ Squall thought) and sat down, he finally asked them if he was sun burnt.

"No..." Selphie replied, confused. "Your face is the same as it always is. Why do you ask?" she asked him. Squall got up quickly.

"Ah... no reason." he replied, and with that, he walked away.

—

Finally, everyone had begun to arrive at the barbecue, and already all the food was done. Squall walked over and was going to sit by himself as he normally did, but Zell, Irvine, Quistis, Selphie and Rinoa sat down with him at the long table.

"What are you doing?" he asked them. Rinoa looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

"I believe it's called _eating_," she replied, teasing him. He looked down at his plate and didn't say anything. He'd just ignore them and pretend they weren't there, and maybe then they'd actually disappear. Well, that was a very doubtful thing, but a guy can hope can't he? **Why do you want them gone so bad?** An evil voice inside of Squall's mind asked. Squall ignored it, after all to talk to himself would be a sure sign of insanity, and poked at his salad. He looked up, and noticed that everyone was watching him. _Talk about awkward... _he thought.

"I thought you said my face isn't sun burnt?" Squall asked Selphie finally. She began giggling so hard that she started to choke on her drink, and had to turn her head so she didn't spray Zell who was sitting across from her.

"It isn't! At least, it wasn't. Now its REALLY red. What did you do to your face?" Selphie asked him. Squall glared at her and didn't answer. He began to eat as fast as he could so that he could get out of there. Why was his face turning red all of a sudden? He didn't feel as if he was hot, but maybe he was sick... **that's not what it is, and you know that!** The evil voice taunted. Squall noticed that Rinoa was the only one still watching him, looking concerned, and he finished eating and got up without a word. He walked over to Nico, who was just grabbing a drink from the cooler.

"Did you need any help with the kids games?" Squall asked her quietly. _Anything to keep me busy so they can't come asking me questions. _Nico looked up at him, surprised.

"Oh, you want to help?" she asked. Squall nodded, and she smiled. "Alright, I'll be over there in a minute. Oh, your face seems lighter now, that's good..." she added. He noticed that she was watching him strangely, and began wondering if she knew that it wasn't a sun burn that was making his face red. If she did know anything, she kept it to herself, which made Squall happy at least. He didn't need people trying to analyze everything strange he did, and asking him questions— questions he didn't have answers to. He glanced over at where he had been sitting, and saw that although most of them, even Quistis, who he had noticed was normally depressed, but Rinoa was barely touching her food, seeming to be deep in thought. _She better watch herself. _Squall thought, amused suddenly. _They might think I'm rubbing off on her. _With that thought in his mind, he headed over to where the games were to be going on, and sat there waiting for Nico.

—

Over the next few hours, they held several games for the kids, going up by age groups— certain age groups didn't get to play one game or another, because they were either not old enough or too old to do it. Things like sack races, which was a bit harder in the slippery sand, tug of war, and several other things were done by the younger kids. As it got into the games for the older teens, it was just tug-of-war, some boat racing, swimming competitions, and a game of volleyball. Every time they started a new game for the older teens, Nico would ask Squall if he wanted to join his friends and play, but each time he replied with the same answer— no. _Friends? What would make her think they were my friends? I have no friends— everyone that she meant is friends with Rinoa, not me. Honestly, does the world think I've suddenly changed?_ Squall asked himself. Sighing, he knew he'd get no answer— he'd have to ask someone, and if he did, then they really WOULD think that he had changed. **But you have... **the evil voice replied. It had been resting inside of him, silent for so long, and now the voice had come back to make things _more_ confusing then they already were. **Little by little, Squall Leonhart, you've begun to change. Haven't you noticed?** The voice asked. Squall shook his head, closing his eyes. _I haven't changed... _he told himself. _I'm still the same guy I was before Rinoa came. _

"Squall?" Squall's head shot up as he saw a concerned Nico standing in front of him. She felt his forehead, checking for a fever, and he pulled his head back, resulting in tipping his chair too far and falling in the sand. He saw that Rinoa was watching him again, smiling and trying not to laugh, but Selphie didn't bother controlling her laughter— she laughed so hard she had to get help to the washroom before she had an accident.

"I'm fine," he replied, getting up. Despite what he said, Nico still remained concerned. _Well, so what?_ Squall thought. _I don't care, remember? Maybe I have changed... _he thought.

"Are you sure?" Nico asked. Squall pulled his chair up to its normal position and nodded.

"Positive." he replied. He turned and saw that Rinoa was walking back with Selphie, who was still laughing hysterically. He glared at both of them, and got up, walking off on his own. _I don't need to be near them... what was I doing? I mean, whether I wanted to or not, I've been getting used to all of them being around, even if I didn't like them being there, and I can't have that happen. That'll mean I'm just that much closer to... getting close to any of them. Especially Rinoa. _Squall thought.

"Squall!" Nico called. Squall ignored her, lifted his shirt up over his head and jumped in the water. He swam out to the rock, which was far enough from shore and would block him from view of everyone. Sighing, Nico turned back to everyone on the beach and the game started.

**A/N:** Well that's the longest I think I've done, excluding the authors notes and even the title, my penname, and the chapter title, it was 5013 words. I ended up deciding to do this in two parts because I didn't want it to seem dragged out. It might not have, but I'm always like that. Weird, while I was writing this I was listening to music and just at the end of this chapter, "Addicted" came on lol which is the song that this story is based on. Well, it might not be, I have to play around with that idea yet... So what did you think? Good, bad, okay, dreadful? Let me know, review! Oh, and I thought I'd throw in a POV for Quistis, since she seemed troubled in this chapter, and because she hasn't been in too many of them (chapters, I mean), mostly just Selphie, Zell, Rinoa and Squall. Seifer, I suppose as well... anyways, hope I didn't seem to rush things all of a sudden, but if I did I'll know I have to watch that in the future. R&R!

**Joke:** There's another joke in this story, and I thought I'd tell you it— technically it was about two men from Peterborough, but I've improvised it (just changed the names, lol) to fit the story.

_Two men from Balamb were sitting on a park bench outside one day, when the first blonde man turned to the other, and replied, "Hey, which is closer, Centra, or the moon?" The second blonde man laughed, and replied, "Duh, the moon!" The first blonde man was surprised by this answer. "What makes you say that?" he asked. The second blonde man chuckled, before replying, "Well hell-o, can you SEE Centra?"_

The actual joke was the same except the two men were from Peterborough and the end line was, "Well hell-o, can you SEE Vancouver?" lol. Obviously its supposed to be a not-so-funny joke, depending on your humor, which is why I used it because Selphie's laughing anyways since a) she's energetic and probably would have, and b) she likes Irvine so she'll want to laugh at his jokes.


	17. Barbecue on the Beach Part 2

**A/N:** Thanks for reviewing guys lol made my day. Anyways, I'm glad you all liked that chapter so much, I thought a fair few spots might have been iffy. Anyway, Cerulean Crystal wanted another encounter with Seifer and Rinoa, and I didn't know when I would do one but I decided I would this chapter— hopefully he isn't quite AS creepy, but still seeming the way he was before without overdoing it. At least, that's what I'm hoping for, I'll have to wait and see. Hopefully this chapter is good too, I guess I'll wait and see. Anyways I'll stop typing this note now lol and get on with the story.

**Disclaimer:** -sigh- FF VIII isn't mine. -runs away crying-

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Seventeen: Barbecue on the Beach Part 2

After the games were over, everybody basically went on and did their own thing— the equipment for the games were left out, so that the kids could still enjoy themselves. Most of the dads, Laguna included, went off in some of the boats to go fishing. They didn't know if they'd catch anything, but if they did it would be something to brag about when they got back. They might even try cooking it a little more old-fashioned and use the fire. That is, if they could handle it.

The women however, took to cleaning, and sitting on floating mattresses, inner tubes, and other things to keep them afloat, while in the water. Most of them didn't even get wet. The younger kids were sitting on the beach, conspiring how they could force their mothers to go swimming— it seemed like a fun thing to do.

However, Squall was nowhere to be found— Rinoa went everywhere, even at the rock he seemed to enjoy being near, and she couldn't find him. _Did he leave?_ Rinoa thought. Sighing, she sat down in a beach chair, deciding she'd just relax and read for a bit. She didn't feel like playing volleyball anymore, which was what Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and even Quistis were currently doing. Rinoa smiled, as she looked over at them. They were her friends, they had been since she had met them, and she couldn't believe she had once lived without any friends. _It all seems so unreal anymore... as if nothing happened in Deling. As if I was born as a seventeen year old in Balamb with seventeen years of memories, that all just seem like a dream. All of this is just so unbelievable. _Rinoa thought. She opened her book and began reading, but after a few pages in, a shadow soon came over the book and she couldn't see the words properly. She looked up and saw a smirking Seifer standing above her. She sat up, angry, and put her book down. She had just started to walk away when Seifer grabbed her arm.

"Where do you think your going, Heartilly? I just wanted to talk to you," Seifer added. "Not kind of you to walk away," Rinoa glared at him and pulled her arm away. Realizing that she'd have to talk to him, at least for a little while, she sat down again, never letting her guard down. Since there were people all around, she didn't feel scared at being alone with him.

"Well start talking," she replied firmly. He smirked and sat down on the chair beside her, facing her.

"Oh, so now you want to talk?" he asked her. She sighed, and waited for him to continue. "Anyway, just wanted to tell you I heard about that little date with McLaughlin. So you'll date him, but not me? Well, doesn't matter— I've been watching you, Heartilly. Thought you were different, but your worse than Trepe was. I don't need to date another girl who'll watch my every move, even a year later. Too bad, though..." he replied. Rinoa folded her arms and waited. Surely this wasn't the only reason he wanted to talk to her?

"Anyways," he replied, continuing on, "Thought there was an interesting thing you might want to know about your boyfriend," he replied. Rinoa's head shot up. _Why does he insist on telling me everything about people I care about? Does he mean to hurt me? Wreck my friendships? _

"Well whatever it is, I don't want to hear about it." she told him firmly. Seifer laughed.

"Well, I heard one of my friends put a newspaper clipping in your locker. She was a bit jealous when she learned that I had cornered you that day. So do you still have it?" he asked her, grinning even more. It wasn't a pleasant smile— it was a smile of satisfaction, as if he had just accomplished something great.

"Friends, or followers?" she asked him quietly. She knew that she was pushing her luck, but she was tired of Seifer always coming along, and telling her everything about these people. It wasn't her business if they didn't tell her, but he never said anything that was good about them. He always had something bad on the people she cared for, and he always forced her to listen. "And why do you know about all my friends?" she asked him finally. "Do you just spy on everyone else? You have your own life, don't you?" she asked him. He stood up.

"They're my _friends, _**Caraway,**" he spat. Rinoa flinched at the use of her fathers name, and glared at him. Even though she wasn't as angry at her father as she had once been, she wasn't used to that name, and nobody knew her by it. She liked it that way, because it made it really feel like a new start in Balamb. "And I won't reveal my sources. Just take a closer look at the clipping, I think you'll be interested to find out more about _Devin McLaughlin,_" he added. With that, he walked away, leaving a confused Rinoa. _What about Devin? _She thought. She looked up and saw Fujin and Rajin walking with Seifer, and she thought of the clipping she had found. _So one of his friends put it there. Who? Fujin? It was a girl, whoever it was. Who else did Quistis and Selphie say he hung out with?_ Rinoa racked her brain, trying to remember, but couldn't. _I don't think Fujin would do that... but I don't know her very well either. _Sighing, she leaned back on her chair and began reading her book again, when she saw someone step in front of her. Looking up, she saw a grinning Devin.

"Hey!" he replied enthusiastically. He sat next to her, and she smiled briefly.

"Oh, hi." she replied. She returned to her book, and didn't notice Devin frown, a dark look appearing on his face. After she realized several minutes later that he was still sitting there, she put her book down. "Did you want something?" she asked him. He seemed almost shocked.

"Just to talk..." he replied. "I... are you okay?" he asked her suddenly. Rinoa laughed.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she asked him. She heard a splashing sound and saw that her friends had gone into the water. She stood up and started to head toward them, but Devin grabbed her hand. She stopped, and stared at him. "Why did you stop me?" she asked him. He began leading her away, and sighing, she followed him away from the chairs. They sat down at a table, and he passed her a drink.

"I thought we could spend some time together," he replied finally. "I mean, you can hang out with your friends any time." he told her. Rinoa looked at him, surprised. _Yeah, and I can spend time with YOU any time too. What's your point?_ She thought. She held her tongue, however, and waited for him to say something. When he didn't, she stared out at where her friends were. She saw that they had finally found Squall, who was looking very annoyed at the moment as they refused to let him pass. She couldn't help but smile, and Devin grabbed her hand on the table, forcing her attention back to him.

"So..." he replied. She looked at him, confused. Was that all he had to say? He had dragged her away from having fun with her friends— or at least she had planned to— to say nothing?

"Devin..." she started, but he cut her off.

"Why were you watching them?" he asked her suddenly. "Do you hate being around me that much?" Rinoa was startled by this question. It wasn't that she didn't want to be around him, just that she wanted to be around her friends. He could have went with her, and they both could have had fun instead of sitting there doing nothing. _But he wouldn't have went with me. _She thought suddenly. _He doesn't like my friends._ She reminded herself.

"Devin... its not that I don't like being around you. But their my friends, and... well, you might think their too energetic," Selphie. "Or too quiet," Squall— if you counted him as a friend. "Maybe too gross, or too flirty." Zell and Irvine. "Or... well, I don't know what you think of Quistis." Rino added as an afterthought. She couldn't think of a reason why someone WOULDN'T like Quistis. "But their still my friends, and there's nothing stopping you from hanging out with _all _of us. I like you, but you have to understand they're my friends and no matter what you think of them, I'll still be friends with them. What do you have against them?" she asked him. It was a genuine question— she honestly wanted to know why he didn't like them so much. But Devin shook his head.

"I— nothing. I'm sorry Rinoa, I guess its just... I'm not used to them. But..." Rinoa waited for him to continue, and was glad when she saw him smile. "I'll try to get used to them. I didn't mean to give you the wrong idea," he added. "Listen, the reason I dragged you over here was because I had to leave, I'm going to Deling this weekend, we just came here for the barbecue because my parents were helping out but now that what they had to do is done, we're going to head out. I'll miss Monday and Tuesday," he added. "We're staying there with family." he replied. "So... see you." he kissed Rinoa on the cheek and walked over to the parking lot. Rinoa sighed. _Devin's a great guy, he's cute, he's nice... so why is it that I just don't... care?_ Rinoa asked herself. She saw that her friends were still bothering Squall, and she walked over there.

"Aww Squall's BLUSHING, its not sun burn after all!" Selphie replied. "Why are you blushing? Is it because of Rinoa?" When Rinoa heard that, she stopped walking. _Blushing? Because... of me?_ Rinoa shook her head and continued walking, pretending she hadn't heard that. There was no way that he was blushing because of her.

"Guys, let him go," Rinoa told them. They all seemed startled at her sudden appearance, and although Rinoa didn't notice it, Squall's face turned more red. What with everyone's attention being on Rinoa, he began swimming underwater to hide his face that he could feel burning. Rinoa finally noticed he was gone, and felt a little disappointed. She had wanted him to stay and hang out with them, but she knew that was unlikely.

"So Squall was blushing," Selphie told Rinoa. "We were teasing him about it, why did you let him go?" she asked. Rinoa smiled.

"He wasn't blushing, Selphie," Rinoa told her. _I have to lie to them, so they don't tease Squall so much. He's too much of a loner as it is, and he just might start hanging out with us if we give him space. _Selphie looked surprised. Even Zell and Irvine, who had been attempting to hold their breaths the longest underwater, came up long enough to hear what Rinoa had to say. She thought quickly of what could possibly be the cause for it— and then she said the first thing that came to mind. "Uh no, he wasn't, he's sensitive to the sun so his face turns red like that when he starts feeling the heat. That's all— Nico mentioned it this morning." Rinoa replied. Although she could tell that her friends didn't believe her— who would?— she knew they wouldn't bother him about it again unless they knew for a fact he was blushing. Rinoa looked around and saw that Squall had gone further away to the left side of the beach and seemed to be swimming laps. She watched him for a moment, and then shook her head. _Stop it, Rinoa._ She told herself. _I mean... I'm acting as if I have a crush on him! And if I think I'm acting like that, and I can notice it, whose to say he doesn't? Or my friends? They don't need to be getting the wrong idea. _And so with that, Rinoa stopped staring at Squall and turned to her friends.

"Now what?" she asked them. They looked at each other, and all at once they began splashing her. She started laughing and tried to get them back, but it was a pretty feeble attempt when she was on her own. She tried to run in the water, but of course that was a near impossible thing to do, since her legs felt heavier. Finally she gave up, and stood there as they soaked her completely. She stuck her tongue out at them and turned around.

"I'm not talking to any of you anymore," she told them. She kept standing there, and she hadn't expected them to actually leave. But when she turned around to tell them she had only been kidding, they were gone! _Fine, meanies..._ she thought to herself. She saw Squall, sitting at the edge of the shoreline, but she refused to go over there. She saw Quistis and waved to her.

"Quistis!" she called. Quistis looked up and smiled as Rinoa walked over to her.

"Hey Rinoa. I saw the others going over there," Quistis pointed in Squall's direction, and Rinoa saw them talking to someone they all seemed to know, but she hadn't met this person yet. "Do you want to go?" Quistis asked, interrupting Rinoa's thoughts. Rinoa nodded and they began walking. Rinoa saw, as they got closer, that Squall seemed to be almost completely dry. _Well he owes me for getting them to stop teasing him... _Rinoa thought. _So he can't get mad at me if I... soak him entirely?_ Rinoa thought. She decided that she wouldn't do that just yet— she'd wait until he was a bit more dry. Smiling to herself, she walked over to her friends and they introduced her to who was apparently Irvine's mom. After talking with her for a bit, Rinoa pulled Selphie aside and told her what she wanted to do. Grinning, Selphie walked over to where the little girls had been building a sand castle, and grabbed two of their buckets, promising them candy if they let her.

"What are those for?" Rinoa asked her as Selphie filled them both with water. Selphie pointed at Squall and Rinoa grinned. They sneaked up behind the brooding teen, and he didn't know that he was about to get soaked. Both Rinoa and Selphie poured the buckets of water over top of Squall at the same time. Selphie ran for it as soon as Squall realized what had just happened, and Rinoa started to as well but fell on the ground. Squall just stood up and walked over to her. He grabbed the bucket from her, went to the shore, filled it up, and dumped it on her face.

"Payback," he told her. Rinoa got up and stuck her tongue out at him. Squall rolled his eyes, but wasn't expecting Selphie to come up behind him and shove him. Tripping, Squall fell and tripped Rinoa in the process, both of them ending up on the ground. Squall immediately jumped up and glared at Selphie and started walking near the shore again. Rinoa, however, sat on the ground dazed for a moment before getting up with the help of Selphie.

"Hey Tilmitt," Squall called. Selphie turned to him, and she was hit in the face with water as well. With that, Squall walked back to a more private place on the beach where he could be alone. Rinoa watched him leave. _He just... I mean, it was like a social interaction, on his own! I mean he actually... wow._ Rinoa thought. She noticed that the others were staring at her, and she stopped watching Squall. However, Selphie noticed something was up, and the first chance she got, she pulled Rinoa aside.

"Rinoa..." Selphie began slowly, "What's up?" Rinoa looked confused, and shrugged.

"Nothing," she replied, laughing. But she saw that Selphie was looking at her as if she had suddenly realized something, and Rinoa bit her lower lip, worried about what thought was forming in Selphie's mind. Selphie smiled.

"Well... if you're sure. So... why don't you go ask Squall if he wants to sit with us when they have the fireworks going off?" Selphie suggested. Rinoa seemed surprised, but shrugged.

"Okay, I guess..." Rinoa replied. She got up and started walking, and she could have sworn she heard Selphie squeal, but when she turned around, Selphie was as straight-faced as she had been before.

—

_(Squall's POV)_

He didn't know what had made him do that... normally, under any other circumstance, if Selphie and Rinoa had poured water on him like that, he would have told them off, and stormed off to be by himself. _Well, I wouldn't have stormed off, but I wouldn't stay there._ Squall thought. _But I actually CHASED them. I mean... as if we were... friends. What's happening to me? The part that scares me is... it felt... almost natural. _Squall leaned against the tree he had sat at, and closed his eyes. Had things really begin to change about him? Was he... different, now that Rinoa moved there? _Well if I am different, why is it that it took Rinoa coming here for it to happen? She's nothing special. _Squall thought. **Now that's not nice...** the evil voice in his head told him. _Do I look like I care?_ Squall thought. Then he felt like a moron for retorting to his own mind. **Actually, you don't LOOK like you care, but you act like you do.** Squall stopped thinking and just stared out, watching the sun as it slowly began to set. He heard the band start playing, and groaned— it wasn't your regular rock band that was just stuck in their garage, it was a band that played "lively" fiddle music, and it wasn't kids— it was the adults. His FATHER always sat up to the front dancing— this was one part of the barbecue he always stayed hidden during.

"Hey, Squall," Squall looked up and saw Rinoa standing there. He groaned. _Great... does she think we're friends now? I just... I just dumped water on her and Selphie because I wanted to... confuse them. _**Oh, nice cover...** the evil voice taunted. Squall sighed.

"What do you want?" he asked her. Rinoa seemed startled by the sudden mood change— but she tried not to show it. Squall however DID notice, but didn't pay attention to it.

"Well, we were all wondering if you wanted to sit with us during the fireworks?" Rinoa asked. Squall looked up at her.

"We?"

"Well... it was Selphie's idea, but we'd all like it if you did." Rinoa told him. Squall didn't say anything, so Rinoa sat down in front of him, making it so he couldn't see the sun perfectly. Sighing, he asked her, "You won't go away until I agree, will you?" Rinoa smiled.

"Nope!"

"Fine, I'll sit _near _you." he replied. Rinoa didn't leave anyways, and sat next to him. Squall expected her to start speaking, saying anything to make him talk to her— but she didn't. She sat there in complete silence, as if she was deep in thought. Squall glanced at her for a moment longer than he should have, before looking away.

"Sorry about the whole water thing," Rinoa replied quietly a few minutes later. Squall looked at her.

"Oh... it doesn't matter. I _did_ get you and Selphie back," he replied. Rinoa turned and looked at him, amused. "What?" Squall asked, when he saw her expression change.

"I thought it was _Tilmett,_" Rinoa teased. Squall shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. I just called her that to express that I was annoyed." Squall replied.

"So why didn't you call me Heartilly?" Rinoa asked him.

"Actually, I didn't call you anything." Squall told her. Rinoa stayed quiet after that, and after awhile Squall turned and glanced at her. She didn't seem to notice, but he shook his head and looked away. Finally he stood up, and Rinoa looked at him.

"Running away already?" she asked him. Squall looked at her.

"I don't... run away." he told her. "I was just... walking." _That sounded brilliant... _he thought to himself sarcastically. He saw Rinoa get up, and sighed. _So what, you're following me now?_

"Well if you're leaving, there's no point in me staying here." she replied, walking with him. Squall turned to her, but said nothing. _Why would it matter if I left? I'm probably just making her words mean more then they do._ Squall told himself. They both began walking and saw that the fireworks were being set up. It wasn't dark enough to set them off yet, but as soon as it was they'd stop the band from playing. _And thank God... _Squall thought. _They've started to be singing a little off-key and its not funny anymore._ He turned to Rinoa after they had walked a majority of the way in silence.

"What do you want?" he asked her quietly. She turned to him, startled, not having expected him to speak to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked him. Sighing, Squall stopped walking and faced her.

"Never mind," Squall replied. He continued, but Rinoa grabbed his arm. He flinched at the touch, and Rinoa, realizing what she had done, let go quickly.

"Tell me." she replied gently. "Please?"

"Just forget it," Squall told her firmly. He walked away from her, and went and sat down at one of the tables. Nico came over and sat with him, and he glared up at her. She smiled anyways, and waited until she was sure most people were out of earshot before speaking.

"Squall... what's wrong?" Nico asked. Squall looked up at her, and sighed. _Nothings wrong, why does everyone... _

"Nothing." he replied. Nico sighed and stood up. She started to walk away, but turned back to Squall, the smile replaced with a sad, forlorn expression.

"You can talk to me when you have things on your mind, Squall. Don't shut the world out," Nico told him. Squall watched her leave, and then stared into space moodily. _Sorry, Nico, but I'll never tell anyone what's on my mind. I won't let anyone get that close._

—

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would all gather a safe distance behind the fireworks, we are about to end this years end of the summer barbecue. We pushed it back a few days because of several reasons, but now it's come to an end, and summer is over for another year." the organizer of the barbecue replied into the microphone. There could be groans heard amongst the crowd, thinking of the winter that was still to come. The crowd moved away from the stage and everyone found a spot to sit so they could enjoy the show. Squall _had _said he would sit with Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine, but he suddenly didn't feel like it. He wasn't lucky, however, because they decided to go find him and sat down with him. He felt them staring at him for a moment, but was relieved when they all started talking to each other.

"So, Quistis, what did you think of it this year?" Selphie asked. Quistis turned and smiled.

"Oh, I enjoyed it." she replied cheerfully. "The fireworks are always the best though," she added. Rinoa turned to Squall.

"What about you, Squall?" she asked quietly. Squall turned to her and saw that she was smiling strangely at him. He shrugged.

"It... was okay." he said. Rinoa pulled her knees close to her and leaned her head against it. Every now and then, Squall saw her glance at him, but he decided it would be best if he ignored that and just waited for the fireworks. When they started, there was the sounds of people cheering and clapping. He looked around and saw that people were with their families, laughing together. Kids were sitting with their friends, giggling and wrestling on the ground between fireworks. Everyone was with someone. _I... missed out on so much. Was it all really worth it?_

**A/N:** FINALLY I'm done this chapter, lol I have to say that for some reason I just didn't like it... I feel as if everything and everyone in this chapter was totally out of whack and everything seemed fake... well, at least to me, maybe I'm being paranoid... but anyway, its out, and I've already decided that I'll be editing this when its done and making it better ANYWAYS without changing much, mostly adding or rewording better... lol. Anyways, let me know what you think— don't be afraid to be harsh, I thought this chapter was dreadful myself so it won't hurt my feelings the least bit. I felt as if I had a block with this chapter... which sucks after me enjoying the last one so much. Ahh, well. R&R!


	18. Blacking Out Again

**A/N:** Well it turns out I was apparently paranoid about that last chapter for no reason, because everyone seemed to enjoy it. I guess maybe I was just wondering how well the whole water bucket thing would go down and the ending of the last chapter. Sorry for the bit of a wait for this update, I think I'm going to update all of my stories and hopefully finish at least one of them sometime soon so I can get out a new one. Well, I could anyways if I wanted to since it won't be overly long either, but I really just want to do no more at a time than I am now lol. So, basically this means I will now also be working more on my other stories so I don't know how I'm going to work that out yet, if its just when I feel like doing whatever story or if I'll do a schedule like I did before. Anyway, here's the next chapter, let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer:** FF VIII isn't mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Eighteen: Blacking Out Again

_(Squall's POV)_

That night, the drive back to the Loire home was pretty quiet. It was late, and everybody was tired. Rinoa was curled up in her side of the backseat, already asleep, and Laguna was talking quietly up front with Nico about the barbecue and a fish he had caught, but mysteriously it disappeared. Squall yawned and looked out the window. _I guess... maybe I have changed. Just a little. Change isn't always bad though, right? Sometimes it works out. And I guess if it's happened already, there isn't too much I can do about it now. _Squall thought to himself, sighing. He turned his head and looked at Rinoa, and was surprised to find himself almost... smiling. He shook his head when he realized this, and focused his attention immediately on the sight outside of his window. He didn't need anymore confusion in his life, and Rinoa Heartilly... she'd only bring disappointment, ultimately. He knew that she wouldn't mean to hurt him if she ever did, but... it was inevitable, no matter who it was. _What am I saying?_ Squall thought suddenly. _It doesn't matter anyways, I don't care about her or anyone. Why was I... actually thinking about it? Damn it... I... nothing makes sense._ Squall thought finally. He glanced once more at Rinoa before leaning his head against the window and closing his eyes.

—

"Squall, Rinoa, wake up." Nico replied. Squall moaned and lifted his head up, before turning and noticing that Rinoa had, at some point while they were both asleep, shifted positions and was leaning her head against his shoulder. Sighing, he gently lifted her head from his shoulder and undid his seatbelt. Getting out of the car, he saw that Rinoa had finally woken up and that Nico was smiling at both of them. Squall flushed and quickly went inside, rushing up the stairs and closing his bedroom door behind him. On the other side of the door, Squall was leaning against the wall and hoping that nobody would bother him. _How could I have fallen asleep like that? Why didn't I loudly wake up Rinoa and tell her to get her head the hell off of me! Nico will probably think that... and dad will... _Squall shook his head, sighing. He jumped, startled, when his door was pushed open. He expected to see someone standing in the doorway, but when he didn't, he started to shut the door. When he realized it wouldn't shut, he looked down and saw Angelo. Rinoa had already gone to bed, her door closed, lights off.

"Come on Angelo," Squall replied, sighing. Angelo barked quietly and jumped up on Squall's bed. Changing into his pyjama's, he went under the covers of his bed and shut his eyes. Every now and then he had to shove Angelo over, because it seemed the dog was very good at taking up most of the bed. _Now I know why Rinoa shut her door before Angelo could go in her room, _Squall thought. He was just about to fall asleep when suddenly, he started thinking again about the incident at the school. Cursing silently to himself, he turned over onto his side and tried to figure out who would want to hit him and knock him out. _Nobody... I don't socialize enough to piss anyone off,_ he thought. Yet someone had knocked him out, and it seemed rather coincidental to him that the lights had also been knocked out. _So if there's nobody who would want to do that, then... why did they? And who?_ Squall sat up in his bed and glanced out the window.

—

The next morning, Squall woke up on the floor. Confused, he stood up and looked at the bed where he had previously been sleeping on and saw that Angelo was sprawled out on the bed. Shaking his head, he opened his door to walk down the stairs as he normally would, and then groaned as he remembered Rinoa lived there now. He had to get changed first. Sighing, he changed into his normal clothes and walked down the stairs, but was surprised to see that Rinoa was nowhere to be found. Sitting down at the table, breakfast was already served. Nico set a glass of orange juice in front of him and Squall sighed. _Doesn't she ever... well, just... slack off? And not be... well, always so organized? It's almost... annoying._

"Thanks." he replied. Nico looked at him, surprised.

"W-what?" she asked him, as if unsure she had heard correctly.

"Forget it," Squall replied tiredly. _What, I can't be nice every now and then without people thinking its all in their head? Am I really that mean to people? I didn't think I was mean... I just kept to myself. _Squall sighed and began eating his breakfast. Nico stood there, staring at him, probably wondering who this person was that looked like Squall and what they did with the real one. Finally, she just smiled and walked back into the kitchen to clean up. Squall finished his breakfast quickly and told Nico he was going out— yet another surprise for his stepmother that day.

When Squall stepped outside he found that it was extremely hot, and he thought back to the night before at the beach. _Maybe I'll go back there later, _Squall thought to himself. The image of Rinoa's head resting gently on Squall's shoulder entered his mind, but, shaking his head, he quickly forgot it and continued on his way. He wasn't exactly sure where he was going, just that he needed to get out of the house and have time to just... think.

—

_(Devin's POV)_

"We will be arriving in Deling shortly, please check to be sure that you have all of your belongings with you." the voice replied over the intercom. Devin sighed, staring out the window. _How did I ever get into all of this? Dad... he's the one who made the mistake, the one who decided to go along with the new Mrs Caraway, and kill... Rinoa's mother. Why do I have to do her dirty work now?_ Devin sighed and saw that his parents were looking at him strangely. He quickly smiled.

"So what are we going to do when we get there?" he asked. His mother smiled back at him.

"Well it's pretty late sweetheart, we'll probably just unpack our things and get settled in. Maybe have something quick to eat, and then go to bed— we'll go out tomorrow, maybe see the sights." His mother replied. _Sights? We've been here so often, we should have seen everything by now. _He thought. He stood up and grabbed his bags as the train stopped. _Sorry mom but I have to meet Mrs. Caraway tonight... but you don't need to know that. _

"I'll probably just go to my room, and go to sleep. So I can get up bright and early," he added enthusiastically. _More like so they'll leave me alone and I can sneak out. _They got off of the train, and his aunt and uncle were already there with the van to pick them up. They passed the Caraway mansion, and Devin saw Katie and her mother stepping out of a car handing shopping bags off to the butler who had just come out of the house. _Typical. _Devin thought. He turned his gaze to his father to see his reaction, but there was none— he didn't even show any sign of recognition.

After his father had committed that horrible deed, he hadn't talked to Gabriella 'Caraway' ever again. She paid him the money she had promised, she pulled strings so that he got out of jail, and it was thanks to her that nobody ever mentioned the accident to his father. _If he knew I was seeing her, he'd blow up. _Devin thought. Sighing, he leaned his head against the window and waited for them to get to his aunt and uncles place.

—

"Are you going to bed now, Devin?" his mother asked from the other side of the door. Devin groaned. _Just go AWAY already!_

"Uh yeah mom, just getting changed." he told her, hoping that by saying that she wouldn't come in his room. It seemed to work, because he heard her footsteps walking into her own room. Once he was sure everyone had gone into their bedrooms, he shut off his light and opened his window. Sliding the screen over, he slipped out and walked as quietly as he could across the roof. Reaching the tree that was outside of his window, he climbed down and started heading for Caraway mansion. Once he reached there, the guards at the front door let him pass instantly, knowing that Gabriella was expecting him. He walked into the main living room and saw that she was sitting there watching television. She was alone, even Katie was gone. Devin knocked on the doorframe to make his presence known. Gabriella jumped before smiling.

"Ahh, Devin. I was wondering when you'd get here. Please, sit," she added, motioning towards a chair. Devin sat down, and sighed. _Let's just get this over, Caraway._ He thought, but he kept his mouth shut. "So," Gabrielle replied, passing him a cup of tea she had just poured from the small teapot that had been sitting on a tray on the coffee table, "How are things with you?" she asked him, taking a sip of her own tea. Devin put his cup down on the table.

"Listen let's just get this over with," he replied, tired from the long trip. Gabriella forced a smile.

"Of course," she replied smoothly. "How are things with Rinoa?" she asked. Devin shrugged.

"She's not coming off as unhappy... actually, she's getting completely disinterested in me now, I think," he told her. Gabrielle narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh, really? How terrible for you... tell me Devin, how is it that a nice, handsome boy such as yourself, can't do something as simple as make my stepdaughter fall for you? How difficult of a task is that?" Gabriella asked angrily. Devin jumped at the sudden intensity of her voice.

"It's not as easy as it looks!" he whined. "And if she didn't like Leonhart, then she WOULD fall for me." Devin blurted. He covered his mouth, realizing too late what he had just said. _Damn it! Stupid, moron... now she's going to want me to do something to Squall. I'm not going anywhere NEAR him._ Devin thought.

"Leonhart? You mean, Laguna Loire's _son!_ Interesting... perhaps, Devin, you are not as useless as you appear. We could use this to our advantage." she added. "New orders— you are to get Mr Leonhart on your side, and make him date Rinoa... and then do whatever it takes to break her heart." Devin couldn't help but laugh at this, which made Gabriella flare up.

"Sorry!" Devin apologized, still laughing slightly. "But... you don't know Squall. He's a complete loner, he doesn't have a single friend and he doesn't WANT any friends. Anyone who tries to get close to him ends up being hurt..." Devin trailed off. _Ends up being hurt... of course!_ He jumped up to his feet. "Leave it to me, I have an idea." Devin picked up his tea cup and drank it down in one gulp— the cup wasn't very large.

"And it better work, McLaughlin." Gabriella told him, clearly angry as she was calling him by his surname. "Because if it doesn't... well, you know what will happen to your dear father," Devin glared at her.

"Yeah, I know what will happen." he repeated. _But if you do anything to him, I swear I'll expose you for what you are— a jealous bitch, who had to kill off her competition, a mans WIFE!_ He grabbed his coat and walked out the front door, not even bothering closing it, or looking back.

—

_(Rinoa's POV)_

Rinoa came back to the house after spending most of the morning at the pool with her friends. When she entered the kitchen to grab a soda, she saw that there was a note on the fridge from Nico, telling her that she had gone out to go shopping and would be back later on that day. Sighing, Rinoa opened the can and started drinking it before walking up the stairs. _Seifer just had to mention that article... _she thought sadly. _I don't want to look at it! I won't!_ But she knew she would; even now, she was walking up the stairs, her feet with a mind of their own, and making her way to her room and to the drawer where she had put the article. Finding it, she unfolded it and read all it had said. She had read the obituary but she never read the article that was reporting on the accident. It was too much for her... the obituary said all the nice things about her mother, everything that everyone loved her for. But the news article on the accident represented everything ugly Rinoa was trying so hard to forget. _After a tragic car accident today in Deling, the body of thirty one year old Julia Caraway was found. Although paramedics did everything they could, there was no life left in Julia, and her funeral date has not yet been set. The cause of the accident was a head on collision with another car— the driver, Adam McLaughlin, is being charged, and a court date has been set for his sentence. _Rinoa read the words over and over again... Adam McLauglin... Adam McLaughlin... _No!_ She thought sadly. _Devin... your father's name is Adam... you told me that! Your father's the reason my mother's dead!_ She thought, now angry. Tears began streaming down her face, and she threw herself on her bed, sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow. _I can't believe I thought I liked him... his father's FREE! He deserves to be in jail for what he did! I'll never see my mother again, and... its all his fathers fault. Why didn't he tell me?_ Rinoa stood up and started to walk towards the stairs. When she reached the top step, she started feeling dizzy, and soon, everything was black.

**A/N:** Well this was a bit short but meh, I wanted to get it out. I've still got a bit of writers block with this. I -was- going to reveal who knocked out Squall this chapter, but I decided to hold off on it for a bit... aren't I evil? Anyway, I'm going to keep this short, lol I'm listening to Relient K and music is actually very distracting for me when I'm writing a story (not doing homework though, dunno why... but when I do a story that I don't technically HAVE to do, I stop writing lol.) Soo yeah... sorry, I'm obsessed with music as much as I am with writing. R&R!


	19. A Day With Ellone

**A/N:** Well this was a bit of a wait for this chapter but I started a new story, I'm working on other soon-to-be-new stories, and some one-shots here and there that haven't been added up... as well as my older stories. BUT I decided I should toss out an update on this story as well, and I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. This chapter will mostly be about Ellone, reasons why might become clear in this chapter or future chapters, but rest assured there IS a reason— I'm just not sure if I'm going to tell you now or not... -maniacal laughter- Ahem... R&R.

**Note:** Also, not sure if I said this or not but in this story I'm going to just have Ellone refer to Squall as her brother, because it's just one of those things when you grow up together, you seem to consider one another to be close family. Like when you have a best friend. And she'll still call Laguna "Uncle Laguna"... can't remember what I had said in the Winhill chapter, and unfortunately I can't get online at the moment to check. Sorry, I'll edit it later if necessary. Okay? Just thought I'd mention that now, to stop any confusion. Also, the class Ellone is in, is Ancient Greek Mythology— dunno if it's available to anyone, but I'm a complete Greek Mythology nerd and I love it so I thought I'd include it briefly.

**Dedication:** Normally, I'm not one to do a chapter dedication. I mean, it's like playing favourites and everyone who reviews is awesome, so to pick one seems unfair. BUT, Cerulean Crystal sent me a message and because Cerulean is a bit worried about getting some exam results back soon, I thought this dedication might be a nice "Cheer up! Don't worry!" message. Good luck on your results, Cerulean Crystal.

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy VIII is, as usual, all BUT mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Nineteen: A Day With Ellone

_(Ellone's POV)_

"And so, the evils of the world were released from the box that is now known as Pandora's Box, but the most dreadful thing that was in that boxed was stopped before it could escape. Had it escaped, we would be able to know everything bad that would happen to us, thus causing every human to lose hope." the teacher droned on and on, walking around the classroom and tapping his ruler loudly on the desk of a student that had fallen asleep. Ellone sighed and glanced up at the clock, and groaned, realizing she still had half of her Ancient Greek Mythology class remaining until she could finally go back to her dorm.

Ellone was restless, and she knew it. The past weekend, after all, her stepmother had phoned her and told her that Squall would be calling to talk to her— Squall! He had been avoiding Ellone every time that she had called for the past while, and suddenly he was going to call and talk to her. She knew, from the odd tidbit she had been able to gather from Nico and Laguna, that Squall was starting to act a little strange compared to his usual self, and Ellone was extremely curious about it. One of the many disadvantages of leaving home to go to college was that she never knew what was going on back home, because it was much easier to keep information from someone over the phone than it was in person. _Even Rinoa's been talking to me, so why couldn't Squall take my calls before? Hmm... he's in for a surprise, because I think I know a little more than he knows about. Mostly, from Rinoa. _Ellone thought. She began writing down a few notes from what the teacher was saying, but was instantly distracted again by her thoughts. Staring out the window, Ellone sighed deeply. She was startled when the teacher's ruler smacked loudly on her desk.

"Miss Loire, is there any particular reason why you aren't paying attention?" the teacher demanded. Ellone opened her mouth to speak, but as she did, the bell rang. "There is a test tomorrow, do _not _forget. I suggest that you _all _study." the teacher shouted, trying to make his voice heard over the voices, laughter and footsteps that could be heard from the hallway. Ellone gathered up her books, smiled apologetically to the teacher and rushed out into the halls. She had to get back to her dorm early, because she knew that Squall got off of school earlier than she did and Nico had said he was going to call as soon as he got home.

Sure enough, after fumbling with her dorm key and finally managing to unlock her door, she heard the phone start to ring just as she got inside. Ellone dropped her bag on the floor and rushed to pick up the phone. She plopped down on the armchair that was situated next to the phone, and took a deep breath.

"Hello?" she replied. On the other end, she could hear voices in the background— she smiled, recognizing Nico and Rinoa's voices. _I guess Uncle Laguna is still at work... _she thought.

"Hey, Ellone." came a male voice on the other end. Ellone sat up in her chair.

"Squally!" she exclaimed, pretending to be surprised. "I was wondering how long you'd avoid me," she added. "So, what's up?" she asked finally. She heard a sigh on the other end, which was soon followed by a groan at being called the familiar, greatly disliked nickname.

"Fine, Ellone. Nothing new, except— never mind. So how's college?" Squall asked on the other end. Ellone frowned. _He sounds so... confused? But I don't think its about anything good. _Ellone thought.

"Good... listen, Squall, except what?" Ellone asked. Another sigh on the other end.

"Nothing, you wouldn't be able to help me with it anyway." Squall told her firmly. Ellone picked up the cordless phone and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a drink.

"Try me. We used to talk all the time, Squall. I was the only one you ever talked to," Ellone added sadly. "Don't shut me out now," she pleaded. She knew that would get to him, and sure enough, it did.

"I'm not trying to shut you out, Elle." Squall told her. "It's just I'm confused about it. I— a little while back, I went to the school to pick up a textbook that I had forgotten. Only, the lights went out and all of a sudden, I heard footsteps and the next thing I remember, I woke up in the infirmary." Squall replied. Ellone gasped, almost dropping her glass on the floor. Luckily, she managed to keep a firm grip on it.

"Oh no! That's terrible! Did you tell Nico or Uncle Laguna about it?" Ellone asked. She could tell already by the way that Squall was hesitating, that he hadn't. She groaned and shook her head. "Squall, this is really serious! Someone tried to hurt you, you shouldn't keep stuff like that to yourself! Besides, I'm sure Dr Kadowaki wouldn't have allowed you to leave the infirmary and just walk home by yourself. So if you didn't tell Nico or Uncle Laguna about it— how did you get home?"

"I, uh... called Zell Dincht, you know, from next door..." Squall replied. Ellone's eyes twinkled and she couldn't help allowing a grin to return to her face.

"You mean... you actually _called _Zell? On your own? Without being forced to do it by anyone?" Ellone asked.

"It's not what you think! Dr Kadowaki was being extremely strict about me leaving the infirmary, and Zell was the first person I thought of. Listen, that doesn't matter... I still don't know who knocked me out, and it's been bothering me."

"Do you think it was Seifer?" Ellone asked, only too aware of the fact that Seifer and Squall didn't exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things. There was another moment of hesitation on the other end before Squall said anything.

"... I don't know," he replied, and Ellone could tell that he was speaking the truth.

"I don't get it... the two of you— you used to be such good friends. You were always the way you are now, but Seifer was the only one who could get through to you when I couldn't. What ever happened to that?" Ellone asked sadly.

"I... listen, I didn't call to talk about me, alright? So, anything interesting going on there?" Squall asked, immediately changing the subject. Ellone couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Same old Squall, always avoiding the subjects that might make him seem vulnerable. I guess some things never change, huh?" Ellone asked. When there was no reply on the other end, she sighed and gave in. "Nothing interesting has gone on here, really. But you know, you should call me more often, Squall." Ellone told him. "I even talked to Rinoa more than you, and... you're my brother. At least, in the ways that matter." Ellone added.

"I... I will, sis." Squall replied, and Ellone smiled warmly at Squall calling her sis again. _Just like old times... I miss you, Squall. Uncle Laguna and Nico too! Even Rinoa, though I barely know her. I think I miss having a family... I miss **being** with my family._

"Good." Ellone replied. "Now, what's this I hear about you and Rinoa, huh?" Ellone asked, grinning again. She heard Squall groan on the other end, and laughed. _Yep... some things never change..._

—

After getting off of the phone with Squall, Ellone tried to watch TV, but found she couldn't focus on anything except what Squall had told her. _"I heard footsteps, and the next thing I remember, I woke up in the infirmary," _Squall's words echoed in Ellone's head, driving her insane. _Squall... I don't believe Seifer would have done it. I know the two of you have your differences, but... _

"I can't believe that either of you would hurt the other like that, without remorse. I can't believe it— I won't!" Ellone whispered to herself.

When they were still little, Squall had been a quiet, and seemingly shy child. Whether he was shy or just anti-social, nobody knew. Finally, after a lot of attempts at conversation, Squall seemed to open up to his 'big sis' a little more each day, until finally, there was no one he shared more with. He never told her all of his thoughts, or his feelings— some things would never change. But whenever he had a real problem, he'd go to Ellone when he couldn't get out of it himself, and he knew she'd always be there to help him.

Ellone was the closest family member to Squall, but Seifer— he soon became Squall's closest friend. At least, as close as it ever came with Squall. They argued constantly, tossing insults back and forth, but when it really mattered, they were there for each other, growing up. As they grew older, they also grew apart, and now it seemed as if they hated each other— Ellone couldn't understand how such a great friendship had turned into... hatred? The word seemed to strong to be used to describe the current situation, and yet, there wasn't any other way to describe it. _I don't think they hate each other— I think they just grew apart, and changed— neither of them act the way they used to as kids. But they're still the same person inside... _Ellone walked over and sat on her bed, holding her knees close to her chest. She looked out the window, just beside her bed, and watched the rain pounding on the pane of glass. _Squall— I wish you'd tell me what happened to change everything. Maybe then I could help you._

—

"_Squall! Seifer! Stop it!" Ellone cried. She fell to her knees, staring hopelessly after them. "Please don't fight anymore..." she added, more softly this time. A much younger Squall walked over to her, feeling terrible about what he had done._

"_I'm sowy, sis... please don't cwy!" Squall cried. Ellone stood up and smiled._

"_Okay, but you two need to stop fighting so bad!" Ellone warned them. Seifer walked over, and stuck his tongue out at Squall._

"_He started it." Seifer told her. "But— you're right. We won't fight anymore." Seifer replied. Ellone pulled Seifer over to the side._

"_Seifer, you're older than Squall— you should know better than to pick a fight like that." Ellone told him._

"_But I'm only one year older!" Seifer whined. Ellone smiled, and knelt down so that she was level at the seven year old Seifer's height._

"_I know that, Seifer— but you should still try your very best." Ellone told him. Seifer nodded and walked over to Squall._

"_I— sorry." Seifer replied, refusing to look up at Squall. Squall opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when Nico's head popped out from behind the front door._

"_Who wants cookies?" she asked. Both Squall and Seifer ran inside for freshly baked cookies, and Ellone smiled happily. It seemed like another problem had been fixed— for now, at least. _

Ellone sat up in her bed, shocked at the dream. It was a memory she had long forgotten— one that was similar to many others, but yet over the years had been forgotten. It had been the first time Seifer had been invited over to play with Squall— who had objected to the play date— and they had fought even more again. _They argued then too, but at least they were still friends. You can't hide what happened forever, Squall. _Ellone decided.

**A/N:** Well another bit of a short chapter, sorry if you didn't like it, but I thought I'd mention Ellone again since she's been out of the story for awhile, and now it's been brought up— Squall and Seifer were once friends, and now they seem to hate each other— or at least dislike greatly. So now, you'll have to wait and find out what happened. Also, the truth about who knocked out Squall I think will be coming out soon— although plans might change, I haven't actually figured out when would be the best point to mention it. Anyways, I hope this chapter wasn't too boring or anything, and that you liked it at least enough to drop me a comment. R&R.


	20. Nothing But Fakes

**A/N:** I am really sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long. I can't give you any excuses for most of the time spent away, I can only tell you that I hope to get back into a fairly regular updating routine. I'm going to be preparing a little schedule to help decide what story to work on when, but I haven't quite figured out how that's going to go. But I'm settled in at school, the guy I like more than anyone in the world didn't move away after all, and life is good. For the moment, at least. And so, here is an update for your reading desires, and hopefully it will help to make up for all the times I could have updated but didn't... I'm truly sorry and I hope to make up for it. Lately, I haven't updated any of my stories, and one of them I had intended to have finished by now! By the day before the first day of school, actually. Oops... my bad. I know you're probably upset with me, but hey, R&R anyways and tell me!

**Disclaimer:** As usual, FF VIII isn't mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty: Nothing But Fakes

_(Rinoa's POV)_

Rinoa hadn't told anyone about her blacking out again, because she hadn't wanted anyone to worry, but now she was stuck with knowledge part of her wished she didn't know, and the other part wanted to know so she could use it as an excuse to break up with Devin. She knew, deep down, that it wasn't Devin's fault her mother had died— was it his fathers? Yes. But Devin couldn't be blamed for the acts of his father, and Rinoa wasn't one to judge him on that. What bothered her, was that Devin had hid it from her. Why else would Seifer have told her to read that clipping more thoroughly? _I don't even know why I kept it . . . _Rinoa thought, turning the dial on her lock to open her locker. _But I guess I was meant to know. Was Seifer . . . being nice, by telling me Devin was hiding something from me? Or was he just trying to cause trouble. At least back in Deling, things weren't this confusing. There's Seifer, who seems to know everything about everyone, and he's a jerk, yet just the other day I saw him being nice to a little girl. There's Squall, who seems antisocial and a bit of a loner, but who is starting to open up more not just to me, but to Nico, Laguna, even Zell, Selphie, Quistis and Irvine. Ellone, always asking me about Squall— am I the only one who tells her anything? _Rinoa thought. She jumped when she heard something slamming into the locker next to hers, and she turned and saw Zell.

"Hey, Rinoa," Zell replied absentmindedly. He fiddled around with the lock some more, and when it didn't open, he slammed his fist into the locker. "Damn it!" he cursed loudly. Rinoa pushed him aside and grabbed the lock.

"What's your combination?" she asked, sighing. Zell quickly told her what it was and Rinoa opened his locker easily without much of a hassle. Zell crossed his arms and glared at the locker. Rinoa shook her head and smiled. "You need to get the number close to exact, Zell. You were rushing and because of that you probably missed the number entirely." Zell put his bag in his locker and grabbed some textbooks.

"Yeah, yeah . . . " he muttered. He glared at the locker and closed it, muttering under his breath. Rinoa laughed and closed her locker, going to her own class. _Sometimes Zell just doesn't make any sense . . . I wonder what's bugging him? I'll have to ask him at lunchtime, if Selphie doesn't already know. _Rinoa decided. As if right on cue, Selphie walked in through the door and grabbed a seat next to Rinoa. Rinoa smiled at her and said a quiet "hello" and it was then she knew that something was wrong.

"Selphie? Is something . . . bothering you?" Rinoa asked, confused. _Seems like everyone's got something on their minds . . . me, I'm trying to figure out the nicest way to break up and trying to stop thinking about Sq . . . Everything. _Rinoa shook her head and focused her attention on Selphie. It seemed to her that she'd never change . . . she'd always worry about everyone else before herself.

"... well, not . . . not really," Selphie replied quietly, staring down at her hands. Rinoa looked around the classroom and saw that nobody had really come to class yet. _Thank goodness most people are late coming to this class all the time, _she thought with relief. She stood up and walked over so she was standing in front of Selphie's desk. Crouching down on her knees, she looked up at Selphie and waited for her to say something. _Three . . . two . . . one . . . _"I mean, is there something wrong with me?" Selphie asked finally.

"No! Of course not . . . Selphie, why would there be something wrong with you?" Rinoa asked.

"It's just . . . " Selphie began, but she stopped when Irvine strolled into the classroom. He sat next to Selphie and leaned back in his chair, stretching relaxed. Selphie sighed and stared down at her desk and Rinoa suddenly realized that her change of mood occurred when Irvine entered the class. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. _I'll ask her about it later, _Rinoa decided finally. She took the seat behind Selphie and was surprised to see Squall enter the classroom. _He doesn't take this class . . . _Rinoa thought, confused.

"Miss Heartilly?" The teacher replied finally. Rinoa's head shot up.

"... yes?" she asked, not really wanting an answer. Squall entering her first period class, and her teacher calling on her, was not what she considered a good sign.

"Please report to the Headmaster's office. Mr. Leonhart will explain along the way," the teacher added. "Take your books with you— and be quiet in the halls," the teacher added sternly. Rinoa nodded and gathered up her books. She shot a last confused glance at Selphie before following Squall into the hallways. For a while, they walked side by side down the halls in complete silence, Squall staring ahead into nothing.

"Squall?" Rinoa replied softly. She stopped walking and stood there, waiting for him to say something. Finally Squall stopped dead in his tracks and sighed. He turned around and glared at her.

"What?" he spat. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I mean . . . what?" he repeated more gently. Rinoa took a few steps toward him and crossed her arms.

"Why did I get called out of class? Why do we have to go to the principals office?" she asked. Squall looked and saw that there were some people — most of them likely skipping their first class, but others were just wandering the halls — watching with interest. He looked around and saw a deserted hallway and dragged Rinoa down to it. It was the same hallway Seifer had lead her the very first time she had come to school, and the memory for some reason gave her chills. She didn't know why, but the hallway alone was coming off as scary to her.

"I... there was an accident." Squall replied finally, refusing to look Rinoa in the eyes. Rinoa felt her stomach leap, and she knelt down on the ground, leaning against the wall.

"And?" she whispered. Squall knelt down beside her and sighed.

"It's your father. He was driving, and . . . there was a collision." Squall began. Rinoa felt her heart pound so hard against her chest she felt as if it was going to explode. She blinked away any tears that threatened to spill over and bit her bottom lip.

"And?"

"He didn't . . . he didn't die, but he's hurt really badly. Actually, he's in the hospital. I was headed to class when I saw Nico and she stopped me, asked me to give a note to the teacher . . . she's waiting in the headmaster's office. She's getting both of us excused from school for a little while. We're all going to Deling." Squall told her. He stood up, and to Rinoa's surprise, offered his hand to help her up. She took it gratefully and finally the tears spilt over. She wrapped her arms around Squall and buried his head into the space between his neck and his shoulders. _Dad . . . I . . . I know we never got along, but . . . you're all I have. Please don't leave me too . . . _Rinoa thought. She never even thought to consider the fact that Squall wasn't the type to want to be holding someone, but he didn't push her away. He placed a hand gently on her neck and let her cry until there were no tears left in her to cry. Finally, Rinoa stepped back and looked up at Squall, who was suddenly refusing to look at her.

"Squall?"

"Let's go," he replied finally. He walked ahead and Rinoa couldn't help but smile to herself, even considering the circumstances. Squall, whether he had meant to or not, had comforted her. That was the closest he had come to showing affection in any way, for, well, anyone. _I knew he wasn't completely cold. Even he has feelings . . . he just chooses to hide them. _

Finally they arrived at the Headmaster's office, and Rinoa didn't say another word to Squall or even give a second thought to his almost-friendly attitude earlier. Seeing the serious looks on both Nico and Laguna's faces was enough to remind her that her father was hurt. _"There was an accident . . . " _Squall's voice rang in her head over and over again, and Rinoa felt dizzy suddenly.

"Rinoa?" Rinoa blinked when she heard her voice and saw that Nico was looking at her concerned.

"I'm . . . fine." She replied finally. Nico smiled weakly, and exchanged a knowing look with Laguna.

"There was . . . "

"An accident," Rinoa interrupted. "I . . . I know. Squall told me," she added softly. She closed her eyes, and she saw an image of her father explaining to her that her mother was gone forever. "Daddy . . . " she whispered, before everything went black again.

—

_Earlier that day (Squall's POV)_

Squall walked into the school and began heading for his locker when he saw Seifer smirking and telling Raijin and Fujin something. Anger boiling up inside of him, Squall decided to take a detour and avoid Seifer. _The last thing I need is to be bothered by Seifer first thing in the morning, _Squall told himself.

When he got to his locker, he was surprised to see Laguna talking to the Headmaster. Squall grabbed his books and slammed his locker shut and began walking over toward him, but Nico stopped him.

"Squall, there's been an accident." Nico told him. Squall stared back at her blankly.

"What do you mean?" he asked her, clearly confused. _An accident? With who? _

"Rinoa's father was in a car accident. Oh dear, this is terrible . . . he's in the hospital now, badly injured. You and Rinoa will be taking a few days off of school. We're going to take her to Deling. She can see her father, and you can see the city. We'll be staying at her house there in Deling, and . . . we don't know what's going to happen from there on. That's why we're talking to the Headmaster, explaining the situation. Cid is understanding about the matter, and he's already got staff going around collecting this week's work from both your teachers and Rinoa's, so you don't get behind." Nico added. Squall stood there, shocked. _Rinoa's dad? She'll be devastated. Then again, she didn't seem to be overly happy with him. Every time Nico or dad bring him up, Rinoa gets touchy. _

"Oh." Squall replied. What else could he say? He wasn't used to this kind of thing happening. Not since his mother . . .

"It's good that I caught you before you went to class, do you think you could take a note from Cid to Rinoa's teacher?" Nico asked. Squall nodded, and took a note from Nico. He never bothered reading it, and Nico told him to go to room 108.

When Squall got to the classroom, he saw Rinoa take her seat and throw a glance at Selphie, who looked down and out. Squall wasn't exactly the compassionate type, but even he could tell when someone was feeling a little under the weather. The teacher stared at Squall confused, and he quickly dropped any thoughts he had, and handed her the note. She read it silently and then looked up at Squall.

"My, my . . . this certainly is dreadful." The teacher replied, trying to sound sorry, but Squall could tell from the tone of her voice that she really didn't care too much about the situation. _How can someone be so cold? _Squall thought, disgusted with the teacher who was still cheerful and smiling as if she hadn't been told the bad news. _I understand this isn't her business, but she doesn't even look sympathetic at all. _"Ms Heartilly?" the teacher called. Squall turned to see Rinoa's head shoot up in the air.

"...yes?" Rinoa replied.

"Please report to the Headmaster's office. Mr. Leonhart will explain along the way," the teacher added. "Take your books with you— and be quiet in the halls," she added sternly. Squall sighed, and walked out of the classroom. He was walking down the halls when he heard Rinoa call his name softly. Squall pretended not to hear it and kept walking, but when he realized Rinoa wasn't following him, he sighed and turned around.

"What?" he spat. He cringed when he saw Rinoa flinch and take a step back. He sighed again and repeated more gently, "I mean . . . what?" He had a feeling he knew what was coming, but he didn't want to be the one to tell Rinoa what happened.

"Why did I get called out of class? Why do we have to go to the principals office?" Rinoa asked him. Squall looked around and finally decided to drag her down into an abandoned hallway. _If I'm the one she wants to hear it from, the least I can do is make sure nobody else is around to hear it. She doesn't need . . . I, I mean . . . _Squall saw Rinoa staring back at him expectantly, waiting for an answer, and he sighed.

"I... there was an accident . . . "

—

After Squall explained what happened, he surprised himself by lending her his hand to help her up. _Since when am I Mr. Sensitivity? _Squall asked himself. He was more than a little surprised when Rinoa threw her arms around him and started crying, but what really surprised him was that he didn't shove her away. He placed his hand on the back of her neck and held her as long as it was necessary, until she finally stopped crying. She pulled away, and Squall felt a pain in his chest suddenly. _Get a hold of yourself, Leonhart . . . _he thought, scolding himself. He saw Rinoa staring at him and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Squall?" Rinoa replied softly.

"Let's go," Squall replied firmly, walking away. He didn't need her getting the wrong idea, and him getting weak like that was definitely one way to give her the wrong idea. He walked the rest of the way to the Headmaster's office in silence, and saw Nico and Laguna already seated in some of the chairs. Rinoa walked past him and stared at Nico and Laguna.

"Rinoa, I'm so sorry," the Headmaster began. Squall looked at Rinoa, whose face was completely blank.

"Rinoa?" Nico replied, concern evident in her voice. Rinoa seemed to snap out of it.

"I'm . . . fine."

"There was . . ."

"An accident." Rinoa replied softly. "I . . . I know. Squall told me," she added. "Daddy . . ." Squall saw her start to sway and ran forward and caught her just as she began to fall. Nico stood up, alarmed, and Laguna and the Headmaster both rushed forward.

"What's happened?" The Headmaster asked. Squall stared down at Rinoa, and then looked at everyone else.

"She's blacked out again."

—

_(Rinoa's POV)_

Rinoa opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself in a train compartment. _Wasn't I just . . . in the Headmaster's office? How did I get here? _Rinoa thought. Her head was pounding, and she grabbed it with both of her hands. _Ugh, I feel rotten. _

"Finally woke up?" a familiar voice asked. Rinoa looked up and saw Squall staring back at her. She couldn't be positive, what with her head hurting so much and the drowsy feeling still, but she thought that for a moment, a single second, Squall had almost looked concerned. Maybe she was going crazy.

"I. . . yeah. What happened?" Rinoa asked finally. She looked around and couldn't see Laguna or Nico anywhere. "Where's Nico and Laguna?" she asked.

"Outside of the compartment. We're almost in Deling now, and they wanted to see outside as we came in. And you blacked out again . . ." he added. "Are you . . ." Squall stopped speaking when he saw Nico and Laguna come back in. Suddenly, the train came to a stop.

"We have arrived in Deling City, please make sure you have all of your belongings and exit in an orderly fashion," a voice replied over the intercom. Squall grabbed some of the bags and headed out without saying another word to Rinoa. He left her behind feeling confused, and wondering what had gotten into him all of a sudden. _Am I what? Why couldn't Nico and Laguna have waited for just a few more moments? That's the most comfortably I've ever seen Squall talk to me . . . _Rinoa added to herself. She sighed and grabbed her own bag from the compartment and headed out. She stood next to Squall and glanced at him, waiting for him to say something, but he didn't. It was as if he didn't even notice that she was there. Rinoa tried not to look disappointed, but she couldn't help it. He was starting to open up, just a little bit . . . and now he was back to the way he was before.

While Rinoa was busy thinking about Squall's behaviour, she heard a car pull up and turned to look. She frowned when she saw her stepmother and Katie inside the vehicle— both of them looking perfectly fine, as if her father wasn't hurt at all, like he didn't even exist. When they both stepped out of the car however, they managed to both look absolutely devastated and misty-eyed. _They never cease to amaze me! They're complete fakes . . . _Rinoa thought angrily. She turned to look at Nico and Laguna, hoping that the two of them were able to see past their acts, but she could already tell they bought it.

"I'm so sorry for what's happened," Nico replied, smiling sympathetically. "If there's anything we can do for you or your daughter, please, let us know." Rinoa's stepmother nodded and sent a glare to Rinoa that only she noticed— or so Rinoa believed.

"Rinoa," her stepmother cried out, and she ran over and hugged her. Rinoa was a bit surprised by the sudden show of affection, but she knew it wasn't for her benefit— it was to make it look like she really cared.

"Drop the act," Rinoa whispered into the older woman's ear. "I know you don't really give a damn, so why pretend any longer?" The words she said were meant for her stepmother's ears only, and she was sure that she was the only one who heard them. Even Squall, who seemed to be suspicious of the woman, didn't hear what was said, and he was practically right next to them. Rinoa's stepmother glared at her coldly and then turned to Nico and Laguna, a sad smile already plastered on her face.

"We should probably take you back to our home, and get you settled in. We can have a nice lunch together, but then I must go back to the hospital. I can't bear to be away from my dear husband for too long, and I'm afraid something might happen when I'm not there . . ." Rinoa felt the anger burning inside of her, and she didn't bother trying to hide her emotions from her face. Nobody really noticed anyway, they were too busy feeling sorry for the two people that had worked together to ruin her life.

"Of course," Laguna replied gently. "Squall, why don't you put the bags in the back? I'll go and get the rest from the train," Laguna added. Squall nodded and took the bags to the back of the car, and Rinoa followed closely behind him with her own bag.

"You look angry," Squall commented. Rinoa looked at him, surprised.

"Do I?" she asked quietly. She glared at Katie and her stepmother and threw her bag in the back. "Maybe I am." she added. Squall noticed who she was looking at and shook his head.

"You have every right to be. Nico and Laguna . . . they always look for the best in everyone, but I can always see the worst. Those two don't give a damn about your dad. But you already knew that, didn't you?" Squall asked. Rinoa didn't answer, as Katie had gone to the backseat. She glared at Rinoa and smiled what she believed to be sweetly, at Squall. He glanced at Rinoa and groaned, before leaving to get the rest of the bags. Rinoa couldn't help but smile— at least she wasn't the only one who could see what fakes her family was. _Daddy . . . the worst mistake you've ever made in your life was marrying **her**. The closest to worst mistake you ever made was always believing her over me, even when you knew better. _

**A/N:** Well, there you have it. First update in awhile, and it should be the start of more frequent updating— but keep in mind that school will still be an issue with me, I can only go online on weekends, so... yeah. Anyways, R&R, let me know what you think, and hopefully this chapter was at least a little worth the wait. Of course I know probably not the greatest you could get, but I tried to make it a bit long-ish, and it wasn't about Ellone or another minor character either... yay! Er, yeah, anyways... until the next chapter... later.


	21. I Spy

**A/N:** Wow, thanks to everyone who reviewed! For the most part I'd say everyone seemed to really enjoy that chapter. I meant to update sooner, I apologize, school gets in the way very often right now. My English teacher apparently feels the need to give us essays every week just because it's all on the curriculum. At least now we know why–– she'll be away three weeks in December and she wanted us to get a lot done before she left. Still, sucks. BUT I did do this chapter, it's not great by any means but it is an update that will hopefully tide you over until next weekend or so. Thanks for reviewing the last chapter and hopefully you review this one.

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me. Never did, never, ever, will.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty-One: I Spy

_(Rinoa's POV)_

The ride to the mansion was fairly silent most of the way. The odd time, Katie attempted talking to Squall, but for the most part he brushed her off or just flat out ignored her. For once, Rinoa was glad that Squall knew how to be rude— it certainly felt good to not have to hear Katie's voice. To her, Katie's voice was like nails on a chalkboard— at least, that's how it sounded to her after that voice had belonged to the person who had mentally tortured since she was little. As for her stepmother— she could bare hearing her voice, although she tried to tune it out the best she could. If she heard her say one more time how worried she was for Rinoa's father, Rinoa thought she'd throw up. _Why can't Nico and Laguna see through her like Squall can? Anyone can tell she's faking it... even her tears look fake. She's probably just biting her tongue hard enough that tears start to spill over. _Rinoa sighed and her head jerked forward slightly as they came to a stop in front of the mansion. Her home... she didn't want to be back to it so soon. She felt as if... as if when she went in the mansion, she'd be sucked in forever. Trapped inside with no hope of ever leaving it again. She was sure that if her Stepmother had her way, she would be trapped there. Thankfully, there was still her father, who had admittedly made his own mistakes, but was on the way to recovery from them. If he managed to recover from his recent hospital visit.

"Rinoa, why don't you show these nice people to their rooms? I'm sure you'll know which ones," Rinoa's stepmother replied. _Why do I have to? I'm like a guest her now too... practically. _Rinoa walked up the stairs and sighed, pointing at the largest guest room.

"Laguna, Nico— you guys can stay there. It's the main guest bedroom, normally used by my grandparents or other couples." Rinoa replied. She started walking and Squall followed not too far behind her, glancing at the portraits on the wall as they passed. Rinoa finally stopped walking and opened a door that lead to a bedroom. She closed her eyes for a moment and just leaned against the wall. Squall must have noticed, because he awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you...?"

"I'm fine." Rinoa told him briefly. "This is your room. Excuse me," she replied, walking away. She didn't bother turning back to see if Squall was glancing at her— she didn't want to know. For the moment, she didn't even care. More than ever, she wished her mom was still alive. _At least you would have really cared that daddy got her... you wouldn't pretend like Katie and the Wicked Witch. Why did Devin's dad have to cause that accident? Was it really... accidental? Everything just seems so confusing. I wish... _Rinoa sighed and opened the door to her old bedroom. Walls were completely pink— she had always hated that. It used to be a nice midnight blue, but her stepmother had said that a girl should be "lovely". A girls room should be ladylike, and blue was a boys colour. _Who even believes that? It's so old-fashioned. _Rinoa looked at her wall and smiled. There was a picture on the bulletin board— Sammy must have drawn it. _I wonder where he is? Probably out with the nanny or at a play-date. Everything has to be done proper in this family. _

"Rinoa?" a voice came from the other side of her bedroom door. Rinoa jumped up, startled, before walking over to the door. She didn't open it— she knew who it was and she didn't want to see her right then.

"What do you—" Rinoa took a deep breath and started over. "I mean... yes?" she replied. She knew that even though she didn't live with her stepmother and father anymore, that she would get in trouble for being disrespectful. At the moment, her father wasn't around to help her get out of trouble— she was on her own.

"We're going to the hospital. However, I want you to wait here until Sammy gets home and then come in." her stepmother replied. Rinoa heard her walking away, but she threw her door open.

"Why do I have to wait here? Why can't Katie? It's not her father in the hospital," Rinoa added. Her stepmother turned and faced her, glaring at her.

"Katie is a better daughter to my husband than you ever were, and ever will be. You're nothing but a disgrace to the family and the only reason I put up with you is because of him. You can believe me when I say that if anything happens to him, you'll be dragged here by your ear kicking and screaming if I have to, but you'll be back here. I never approved of sending you off." her stepmother told her. She began to walk away but Rinoa stopped her. She had gone too far this time.

"Excuse me? Katie... is a better daughter? I'm the one that never tried to give him trouble until you came along. Do you think that's some coincidence? Katie causes nothing but trouble for this family and if I ever got into trouble it was because I was blamed for something she did. Better daughter or not, I'm his real biological daughter, why should I have to wait here?" Rinoa demanded.

"Because I said so." her stepmother replied coldly. "I don't know how things worked back in that backward town, but you're under _my _roof now, and you'll listen to what _I _say. You were placed under the care of Nico and Laguna Loire, but I'm still your legal guardian." she added. At that, she walked away, and this time Rinoa didn't stop her. _This isn't fair! I want to see my father... daddy... I... _

"This isn't your home. I'm not under your roof... you just weaseled your way into our family, took advantage of my father, and now I'm stuck with you." Rinoa muttered angrily.

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." Rinoa spun around and saw Squall smirking at her. She glared at him.

"Then I guess you're certifiably insane yourself. Leave me alone, Squall." she told him tiredly. She walked down the stairs, leaving him behind. _I hope Sammy gets here soon... _Rinoa thought. _They've already left. But... Nico and Laguna went... Katie and my stepmother— why is Squall still here? _She turned and saw Squall at the top of the stairs. He started walking down and sat on the bottom stair.

"Nico asked me to wait with you." he explained. "Besides, I'll do anything to get away from your family." he leaned back and shut his eyes, offering no further conversation. Rinoa couldn't help but smile a little. At least she wasn't alone in wanting to get away from Katie.

"Sometimes I wonder what makes them both so foul." Rinoa replied after a few moments of silence. Squall sat up.

"Huh?"

"Katie and my stepmother. Nobody can be that mean by nature." Rinoa replied thoughtfully. Squall shrugged.

"Who knows." he replied. Rinoa turned to him and frowned. _In other words... who cares? That's what you're thinking, isn't it Squall?_ Rinoa thought.

"I wish I did." she tried again. Squall sighed.

"I'm sure you do. Is that a car?" he asked. Rinoa looked at him confused, but then she heard it too. _Yes! Sammy must be back from his... well, whatever he had. _

"I think it is. Come on!" she exclaimed, grabbing Squall's arm and dragging him over to the door. She looked through the window and gasped. It wasn't Sammy in the backseat— it was Devin! "Quick— in the closet!" she exclaimed.

"What!? Why?" Squall asked, not moving. He went to open the door but she stopped him.

"Just do it!" she told him. She shoved him in the closet and then closed it, looking through the crack. Devin knocked on the door, and one of the servants rushed to open it.

"Is Mrs. Caraway here?" he asked, looking around. Rinoa backed away from the crack, afraid he might notice the closet was open just a bit.

"I'm sorry sir, she just left to go see her husband. She did leave something for you— in the Master's study. Follow me please," the servant added, walking away. Devin closed the door behind him and walked. When he had left the room, Rinoa opened the closet and stepped out.

"That was strange. What's Devin doing at my house? And why is he looking for my stepmother?" Rinoa asked. It was more of a question she was asking herself— she didn't really think Squall would say anything.

"I don't know." Squall replied, glaring at the door Devin had exited through. "But it doesn't seem right." Rinoa smiled at him and started backing away.

"Then let's follow them and find out!" she exclaimed. Squall groaned— he didn't want to play spy and follow Devin, it was none of his business what Devin was doing there and he didn't care anyways. But he also didn't want to wait here for Devin to come back.

"Fine. But you better not get us caught," Squall warned her. They quietly slipped through the next door and followed a safe distance behind Devin.

—

_(Quistis' POV)_

"Did you hear about Rinoa's dad?" Selphie asked. Quistis turned to her sharply.

"No, why? What happened?" Selphie took a bite out of her pizza and then put it back down on her plate.

"He's in the hospital. He was in an accident, I guess. Squall came into our class this morning, talked to the teacher and then he and Rinoa left and nobody's seen either of them since. I think they probably went back to Rinoa's home in Deling, to visit her dad." Selphie added. Quistis looked down at her plate sadly. _Poor Rinoa, _she thought.

"Was it serious?" she asked. Selphie shrugged.

"How should I know? Gossip was just flying around the school. At first people thought maybe Squall and Rinoa were dating, and cutting class together— since they saw them walking down the halls. But— well, come on. This is Squall we're talking about, I don't think he's ever dated anyone, and he and Rinoa can argue pretty badly when they want to. It eventually got out that her dad was in an accident— some kid was hiding in the teachers lounge and they were talking about it." Selphie added. Quistis looked up as Zell and Irvine walked into the pizza place and sat next to them.

"Ladies," Zell greeted. Selphie giggled but Quistis just rolled her eyes.

"I hope Rinoa's okay." Quistis replied finally. "Maybe we should do something for her."

"Why? What's wrong with Rinoa?" Zell asked, looking from Selphie to Quistis, confused.

"Her dad was in an accident." Irvine filled in. "I passed Squall's dad in the halls this morning, he was asking me if I saw Rinoa and he filled me in." he added.

"Why didn't you tell us at lunch?" Selphie whined. "We didn't find out until practically the end of the day when people finally got the facts straight."

"I didn't see you at lunch." Irvine reminded her. "I went home. And I'm not in anyones classes other than Zell, and he sleeps in class most of the time." Zell grinned.

"Ohhh yeah. Best time to sleep is right in the middle of History class—" Zell yawned and stretched out in his seat. "Man, I feel like I could sleep for ages now. I missed most of my sleep today— damn teacher woke me up. Hurt, too." he added. Selphie laughed, but Quistis ignored him. Seifer was outside of the pizza place with his friends, picking on some kid again. _When will he ever learn? _Quistis thought sadly. _Picking on people is wrong. Just as wrong as toying with someones emotions._

"Quistis? You okay?" Selphie asked, concerned. Quistis turned quickly.

"W-what?" she asked. Selphie smiled and tilted her head.

"You kinda... zoned out on us for awhile. Are you okay?" Selphie asked again. Quistis smiled and nodded.

"Uh— yeah, I'm... I'm fine. Just tired, that's all." Quistis told her. _Oh I'm tired alright. Tired of still feeling like I might have feelings for Seifer. He hurt me, badly. Why can't I just forget about him? _Quistis turned to look out the window and saw Seifer talking to his friends, and pulling them away from the kid they had been picking on. _He still has that nice guy inside of him... he just prefers to hide it. Why are guys like that!?_

—

_(Squall's POV)_

He knew this was stupid. Devin's business with Rinoa's stepmother was none of his business. If Rinoa wanted to know, fine, she could go be a child and spy all she wanted, but why did he have to go along with her? _Better than confronting him when he goes to leave— besides, I'm bored. I'll play along. _Squall thought. Rinoa shushed him, even though he hadn't said anything, and shoved him against the wall.

"He almost spotted us that time! We have to be more careful," Rinoa whispered. Squall groaned.

"No, _you _have to be more careful. I'm going back and waiting for your brother." Squall replied, starting to walk away. Rinoa grabbed his shirt and pulled him back.

"Oh come on, you want to know as much as I do why Devin's here, admit it!" Rinoa told him. "You can be so stubborn sometimes!" she added, frustrated. She started walking again, and when she rounded a corner she was just in time to see Devin enter her fathers study.

"Now what?" Squall asked her. "I mean, if you go in there, he'll see you for sure. Let's just go,"

"No, he won't. Come on," Rinoa replied, dragging Squall along. She opened the door right next to the one Devin had gone into and inside it was revealed to be a very tight space they would barely fit in. _Lovely. _Squall thought sarcastically. _What is it, an extremely long broom closet? _

"Secret passage. At least, it used to be secret. Now we have an actual door here, it used to be hidden. Still, if you come inside—" Rinoa walked inside and Squall followed her part of the way in, and she lifted up a painting that was on the wall which revealed a large enough peephole that they could see in. She pointed at the painting further down. "You can see peepholes hidden under these paintings. I don't know why they're here, but they've come in handy a few times." Rinoa replied. Squall turned to her.

"Sneaky." he commented.

"Yeah well, nobody in this family tells me anything, not even my dad. Sometimes, you have to be sneaky. Now hush!" she told him. Squall looked through the peephole without saying another word.

Inside the study, Squall saw Devin sitting in a chair just behind the desk— _probably her dads chair, _Squall thought. Devin was reading over a piece of paper to himself, and then finally got up.

"I can't believe her..." Squall heard him mutter. "I'm going to call her right now, this is insane— SHE'S insane. This time, she's gone too far." Devin pulled out his cellphone and started dialing. "Yeah, Mrs. Caraway? I just arrived here to find out you weren't here— and you want my dad's help again. There is no way in hell that I'm going to let you use him again. The last time you did, he got in serious trouble. Find someone else to do your dirty work." Devin replied angrily. Whatever Rinoa's stepmother said, it must have been frightening. Devin's face paled, and he gulped. "But— yes ma'am. Yes. Yes. I understand. But— what if he? Alright. I guess there's no alternative. But you'll be the one getting him out of trouble again, because if he's caught this time it's going to seem like he's taking something out on the whole damn family. I'll tell him your orders. Good-bye," he replied. He turned off his phone and slammed his fist in the wall. "Damn it!" he cursed. He put the note in the paper shredder and then threw the shreds into the metal wastebasket before leaving the room. Squall stepped back and turned to Rinoa.

"What was that all about?" he asked her. Rinoa knelt down on the floor, and shook her head.

"I don't know. All I know is his father was responsible for my mothers death, and if my stepmother had anything to do with it... my dad... he's... not safe. And soon neither will I."

**A/N:** Well there's that chapter for you, sorry if it sucked a bit I kinda... maybe rushed it. This was actually originally going to take place at the hospital but I changed my mind and threw this in so Rinoa can start to see her stepmothers plan. Maybe you can too. Anyways, I'll try and update soon. Thanks for waiting, thanks for reviewing and thanks for waiting.


	22. Hates Hospitals

**A/N:** Sorry about taking so long but here's another update for Addicted, and I hope you enjoy. This one's a little shorter (I think anyway) but a fair bit happens, some stuff is set up for future chapters — so, it's kind of an important chapter (even if I'm the only one that sees all the reasons why hehe). Also, a bit more of a Squall/Rinoa moment in the beginning for you — though nothing's set in stone for those two yet.

**Disclaimer:** As usual, Final Fantasy VIII is not mine.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty-Two: Hates Hospitals

_(Rinoa's POV)_

Rinoa walked out of the secret passage way when she saw Devin standing in the halls talking to one of the servants. Panicking, she turned around and shoved Squall back into the passageway, managing to make both of them stumble. She fell on top of him and when he was just about to swear at her, she covered his mouth with her hand.

"Shh!" she whispered. "He's still out there." Squall glared at her but she knew that the walls were thin and you could hear anything from inside them. She felt awkward suddenly and wished suddenly that Devin would just go away so she could distance herself from him. _This is... so awkward. Ugh, Devin, please just leave... _She realized she was dangerously close to Squall's face and she felt her heart beat quicken. Squall's cerulean eyes peered at her questioningly and she suddenly felt like leaning in and...

Oh brother, what was wrong with her? This was SQUALL she was talking about, the one who had always brushed her off, always... _He is kind of cu— NO! You just found out that your stepmother was behind what happened to your mother, why would you be thinking these kind of thoughts right now? I just want... it's so... ugh. _Rinoa gulped and tried to look anywhere but at Squall's face, who, although obviously being as uncomfortable as she was, looked almost... amused, at the current situation. It was then Rinoa realized her face was probably very red, and she felt like storming out of the passageway and just yelling at Devin.

"Um, Rinoa? I think you can get off of me now..." Squall replied finally. Rinoa blushed furiously.

"R-r-right..." she replied sheepishly, getting up. She brushed herself off and backed up a bit. "Um... sorry, about that." she replied finally. Squall was looking at her strange, and it was starting to bother her. She peered into the hallway and saw that Devin was finally nowhere in sight. Exiting, she tried to avoid looking at Squall at all. She wasn't sure what was going on with her right now, but she knew that this wouldn't help matters at all.

"Rinoa?" Squall replied finally, after several moments of silence. She turned to face him, and suddenly found herself unable to look away.

"Yea— yes?" she replied. She shook her head to regain her composure and turned to face him.

"I... what we saw..." Rinoa looked at him confused. _Is he... actually going to...?_ "Rinoa, what happened when your mother died? I mean... I know she did, but... no one ever told me about it." Squall replied finally, and Rinoa could tell that he was regretting asking it.

"When I was five, I was in the car with her, and... another vehicle smashed into ours. She... died. My father at first didn't want to tell me, but eventually... he had no choice. I was devastated. And then of course, he met my stepmother. I never wanted him to be with her, and I've hated her from the moment I saw her. She... if anything happens to my father, I'll have to come back here, Squall." Rinoa replied, tears threatening to spill over. "I mean, I didn't expect to live with you and your family forever, but I can't live with her and Katie, I can't..." Rinoa suddenly began crying and tried to turn and leave, but as soon as she did, she felt arms wrap around her and pull her back.

—

_(Squall's POV)_

He saw her eyes begin to glaze over, he saw the tears threatening to fall... and it happened so suddenly, he didn't even know what was happening and what he was doing. The moment she tried to get away from him, he pulled her back. As if they were good friends, as if he... cared about her. But that was ridiculous... he didn't have any form of feelings for her. He just felt bad... _Wouldn't that mean you care?_ A voice in his head murmured. Squall ignored it and held Rinoa as she cried, and he realized that maybe he didn't care about her, but he wouldn't wish this family on anyone. Squall shook his head and let her go, backing away. He was going insane, he had to be.

"Squall?" Rinoa replied softly. Was that... concern, in her voice?

"...what?" he asked finally, still walking away.

"I... nothing." he heard her say. If she followed him, he didn't notice. He was just walking through the hallways to question himself on what had just happened. He had no idea why he had reached out to her, and as far as he could tell, nothing about him had changed. It was just... instinct. It felt normal, to comfort someone when they felt sad and confused. But caring, comforting someone... that wasn't normal for Squall. _...I need to get away from her. She's turning me into someone that I... that I'm not._

—

Sammy had finally gotten to the mansion, and Rinoa got a ride with her brother and Squall to the hospital. After the scene earlier, she and Squall hadn't spoken a word, and he found he liked it that way. It gave him time to be alone in his thoughts, something he hadn't been able to do for awhile. Not that he wasn't ever alone anymore, he just found he... couldn't concentrate on his thoughts. He would never admit it to anyone, and he didn't like to admit it to himself, but something was happening. He was still the normally silent, brooding guy he always was, and he wasn't exactly short on sarcastic remarks, but... he felt as if he was starting to care about people again. And it pissed him off. He wasn't supposed to feel anything about anyone. He didn't want to, he... he didn't even remember when that had started.

Squall stole a glance at Rinoa, and saw that she had tears streaked across her face. He knew that this would be the time for a person to say something, anything, but he just didn't. _I've already shown that I care too often, when I... I really don't. I don't. I... don't care. So why do I want to say something to make her feel better? _They pulled into the parking lot at the hospital and Rinoa paid the cab driver without a word. She got out of the car and started heading into the hospital, leaving Squall behind with Sammy. _...this is awkward._ Squall thought. Sammy was peering up at him with his bright blue eyes, and Squall felt like just leaving. _I... have never been around a little kid alone before. Rinoa why couldn't you have taken your brother? _Squall thought, frustrated.

"...let's... go find your sister," Squall said finally. He started to walk towards the hospital when he felt the small hands tugging at his pant legs.

"Are you Rinoa's boyfriend?" Sammy asked. Squall's eyes widened and he looked down at the boy. Squall found it hard to believe that a little boy had just asked that, and he realized he hadn't said anything, and, not wanting Rinoa's brother to get the wrong idea, Squall set out on straightening the kid out.

"No," Squall replied. He had thought something longer, something more along the lines of, 'I can't stand your sister. Thankfully, she can't stand me either. At least, most of the times. Others...' Squall's thoughts trailed off. So, that wasn't entirely what he had wanted to say to Sammie. And a simple no had probably been a lot easier to understand than a long detailed explanation would have. Especially towards the end.

"Oh. I wish you were... you're really nice," Sammie told him, reaching for Squall's hand. Squall stood there awkwardly for a moment, and then relaxed. He held the little boy's hand and guided him into the hospital to find Rinoa.

—

When Squall and Sammie got into the hospital, they saw Rinoa speaking to a nurse at the front desk and asking for the room number. She turned around and saw him holding Sammie's hand, and he noticed her smile at them. He considered trying to remove his hand from Sammie's but realized it would be more trouble if he did. Besides, Sammie was... not all that bad anyway.

"He's on the third floor," Rinoa replied quietly as Squall guided Sammie towards her. He nodded without saying anything, and Rinoa walked ahead of him to the elevator.

"So, Sammie," Rinoa replied, trying to make conversation once they were in the elevator, "I see you have a new friend," Sammie smiled brightly, but Squall glared at Rinoa — she was enjoying this, he could tell. Sammie didn't say anything, and Squall never bothered setting things straight with Rinoa. The moment the words had been out of her mouth, she suddenly looked very grave and depressed again.

The elevator finally stopped at the third floor, and Rinoa, Squall and Sammie stepped out. Rinoa immediately set off ahead of them again, looking for the room, and Squall found it hard to keep up with Sammie holding his hand and slowing him down. Finally, Rinoa seemed to have spotted the room her father was in.

"Dad!" She exclaimed, running in. Her father was awake, but he looked horrible — as Squall walked in, he was surprised to see the man looked deathly pale, cuts all over his arms and face – they were cleaned up well, but you could still see where they sank in.

"Be quiet," Rinoa's stepmother hissed, and Rinoa glared at her.

"It's my _father,_" She replied coldly. "And _he _will tell me what to do, not you." Her stepmother had opened her mouth to speak again but General Caraway stopped her with his hand.

"Do you know where my dad and Nico are?" Squall asked suddenly, and Rinoa's stepmother seemed to notice for the first time that he was standing there. Her expression softened when she saw Sammie clinging to Squall for dear life, and Squall felt like pulling away — why was it that if you were nice to a little kid the whole world seemed to notice? _I need to get out of here. Please don't ask me to take Sammie... _Squall thought, silently praying.

"Y..yes, they wanted to give us some time alone, so they went... to the cafeteria. Sammie... stay here with us, alright? You can go see Squall later if you like, but I think daddy would like to spend some time with you." Sammie looked sad at the thought of leaving Squall, but Squall was thankful — not that he minded the kid, he was quiet, he wasn't disgusting or trying to spit at him or blow snot bubbles — Squall distinctly remembered that from one of the times Nico had offered to babysit. Yet he didn't want to give people the impression that he cared about anyone, and being nice to Sammie...

"Thanks," Squall replied, "I'll... go see them then." He nodded at Rinoa's father. "Hope you start feeling better soon," He replied to him, not sure why he had bothered to say anything, but figuring it was good to show respect at least — he knew enough about Rinoa's father to know that he was the General of the Galbadian Army, and he knew that took a lot of work and guts. It could be a dangerous job — he remembered when his father had been a part of it. And, with that, he left.

—

_(Rinoa's POV)_

When Rinoa had seen her father lying on that bed, appearing so... so lifeless... it had broken her heart, or at least felt that way. And she knew, it had to be her stepmothers fault... she couldn't believe that while this woman who was responsible for her mother's death was in this room, her father was injured, maybe even... dying. He looked horrible — Rinoa didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to think about how he looked, about what had happened or even what she had learned.

Katie was sitting in a chair, looking bored as usual, and reading a magazine. She didn't even seem the slightest bit concerned for Rinoa's father — perhaps she had put on a good show while Nico and Laguna were in the room, but as of now, she was back the way she always was. Rinoa felt a surging hatred rush through her, but she took a deep breath and told herself to calm down. One day, she'd figure out why Katie and her mother hated Rinoa so much, why they treated her so badly — she hoped it wasn't because they were just like that.

"Rinoa," It was her father — but his voice suddenly sounded so raspy and heavy, as though he was having problems getting the words out. "I... you must..." Rinoa knelt down by his bed.

"Must what?" Rinoa asked quietly, when her father hadn't continued.

"I want... to write something..." Rinoa felt tears coming to her eyes, seeing him struggle so badly to speak. She nodded silently, and looked away quickly, looking for paper but also using it as an excuse to wipe her eyes without him seeing.

"Here," She replied gently. Her stepmother sat up in her seat, trying to see what was going on. It was then that Rinoa's father surprised her. He wrote on the paper quickly for her stepmother's eyes — it read, 'Please take Katie to the cafeteria, I would like to speak to Rinoa alone.'

"But — you aren't well enough to —"

"Surely you don't think that all of the nurses on this floor are incompetent, _stepmother?_" Rinoa asked sweetly, and her stepmother glared at her. Rinoa could tell she didn't like this — didn't trust what would go on while she was gone. Yet, she seemed to want to please her husband and do as he wished, and so she grabbed Sammie's hand and guided him out of the room without another word, Katie following behind her.

"Daddy... what did you want to talk to me about?" Rinoa asked, once she was sure that her stepmother and stepsister weren't just listening at the door. He tried to speak, but Rinoa shook her head furiously. "Oh no you don't — you save your voice. Write it," She told him firmly.

He began writing fast, his hand traveling over the paper quickly as he wrote what it was he had wanted to say. Rinoa didn't try to read it at all until he was finished and had handed it to her. She took it, and looked at what he had wrote. _I'm dying,_ it said first, and Rinoa felt a weight drop in her stomach.

"No, you aren't, you can't —" Rinoa began, but her dad made a hand gesture to indicate that she kept reading. _Yes, I am._ Rinoa almost laughed as she realized her father had known she would interrupt before reading it all, and the tears started to fall, and she didn't try to stop them, or hide them this time. _Your stepmother wants you back home, but I know... I know you don't enjoy it there. And I want you to be happy, if... if I do die. _"You won't make me come back here?" Rinoa whispered, not daring to believe it was true. Her father shook his head.

"N-n-no." He managed to get out.

"Thank-you," Rinoa whispered. He had no idea how happy that made her — especially after learning about her stepmother the way that she had. She continued reading. _But you must see that she will be considered your legal guardian — if I don't get out of the hospital to talk with a lawyer about making Nico and Laguna your official guardians, she'll bring you back regardless of what I may have said I wanted. It is important you understand this._ "No," Rinoa whispered confidently. "You will get better — you aren't going to die here, you're not going to die for a long time. You have to believe that." Rinoa added.

"I... l-lo—"

"I know, dad. I love you to. Get some rest — you'll feel better." She told him gently, and he closed his eyes to doze off. Rinoa kissed him on the forehead sadly, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore — she had to get out of here. Unknown to her, someone saw her running away — and set out to follow her.

—

_(Squall's POV)_

_Why'd her stepmother have to send me to get Rinoa? I'm not a part of their family — and Rinoa and I hate each other. And she said that Rinoa's dad wanted to talk to her alone, so why is she trying to interrupt that? And — is that Rinoa? _Squall stopped in his tracks as he saw Rinoa come out of her father's hospital room, crying, and run down the stairs in the other direction. He didn't know why — but he followed her.

She was going pretty fast down the stairs, and Squall called out.

"Rinoa! Hey, Rinoa!" She may have heard him, the echo in this stairwell they were in was so deafening that he was surprised if she hadn't — but she kept running. Maybe she was too distracted to hear anything around her. Squall started going faster down the stairs as he saw her throw open a door to go outside.

She finally seemed to stop once she had crossed the busy street, and she was walking so slow that Squall had no problem catching up to her.

"Rinoa, why didn't you stop when —" Squall stopped talking as he realized something else was wrong. Rinoa was starting to sway as if losing her balance, and she began to fall, her knees caving in under her. Squall quickly moved so that he caught her before she smashed her head off the cement sidewalk. _She's passed out again,_ Squall realized. _I guess it's a good thing I decided to follow her after all. If she had passed out when she was crossing the street, she... _Squall shook the thoughts from his head. He wasn't going to think about that, and he wasn't going to act suddenly like he cared about her. He'd take her inside, where it was warm, in one of the waiting rooms on her dad's floor — and he wouldn't say anything else about the matter.

He shifted his hold on her so that she was on his back, and held her carefully so that she wouldn't fall off. Then he set off for the hospital, deciding that he'd drop her off in the waiting room first and then go tell her family — if you could call them that, he thought suddenly — that she was out of her dad's room and had passed out and was in the waiting room for the moment. _This is why you shouldn't go off on your own when you're upset or scared, Rinoa..._ Squall thought sadly, making his way into the hospital. _Especially with you having problems with blacking out. _

**A/N:** Well there's the next chapter, hope you enjoyed it and R&R. Thanks for being patient guys, I know it's been awhile. There was one story (probably more but one that I've been updating lately) I hadn't updated in over a year — you get caught up in everything else and forget about other things. So, I'm trying to get everything updated and get back on a regular schedule. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter and hopefully you'll review again for this one. I'll try to get another update up soon.


	23. Getting Away From It All

**A/N:** Well here is the next chapter of 'Addicted', thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter — I'm pretty sure I've already replied to all of the reviews (unless there are more in my inbox now, but I'm offline so I can't say for sure just yet). I'm surprised nobody mentioned that I messed up and changed Sammy's name spelling halfway through the chapter, LOL. I was re-reading it just now and noticed it went from Sammy to Sammie and I was like, "...whoops..." but ahh well. It is supposed to be 'Sammy' though so that's how it'll be spelled from now on, and later on I'll probably fix up that chapter. Thanks for reviewing! R&R.

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy VIII and all related characters (that are mentioned in the game) belong to SquareSoft/SquareEnix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty-Three: Getting Away From It All

_(Squall's POV)_

Rinoa was still out cold, lying in the waiting room when Squall came back from the cafeteria. Of course, her stepmother and stepsister pretended to be concerned — but he knew differently. For starters, they hadn't bothered to ask what waiting room, so that they could go see her — they hadn't got up right away to be lead to where she was. They hadn't done anything to really show they cared whether or not she was dead or alive, let alone just alright and not injured.

Nico, of course, had asked Squall to stay with Rinoa — naturally. So, here he was, pointlessly waiting in the waiting room, for Rinoa to wake up so he could get out of there. He hated hospitals — sure, doctors were meant to help you. But he'd been in the school Infirmary too much, and seeing sick people in the hospital, not appearing to look as though they were getting any better... well, it just didn't make him like hospitals any more.

Rinoa started moaning and turning on her side, and Squall frowned. She must have went straight into a state of sleeping now — and he was still stuck here waiting. He contemplated waking her up, but decided against it. For starters, if she was sleeping, she probably needed it. And, he remembered whenever he had woke up Ellone when she was living back at home — that wasn't something he was ready to have happen again.

"S..Sq...Squall..." Squall turned to her, shocked. She had just said his name. She was asleep — not aware he was right there — and she said his name. Was she dreaming? He told himself he didn't want to think about it, because it just wasn't like him, but he began to wonder what on earth she could possibly be dreaming to cause her to say his name out loud. _Probably imagining me getting into an accident or something, _Squall told himself. Of course. It had to be something to do with that.

"I..." Squall turned back to her, as he heard her begin to speak again. _Maybe I should wake her up. I know for a fact that I probably really shouldn't be listening. _"Think I..." Squall stood up, and went to leave — he didn't want to intrude on whatever personal thoughts she had. But he stopped, dead in his tracks at the door, when she managed to get out the last bit.

"Like you."

_No... _Squall thought, getting out of the room and standing in the hallway. _Rinoa... you... you don't like me. You can't. Nobody does — and I like it that way. I like people... not liking me that way. _He put his head in his hands. What was he going to do now? For awhile, at least, he had to live with Rinoa — and what she had said in her sleep insinuated she had developed a crush on him. Even just thinking that, it sounded weird to him.

It could be a problem. He couldn't tell her he knew, because for starters it wasn't something he wanted to talk about — but also because he shouldn't have heard it. She didn't consciously told him, she had blurted it out while sleeping. And he shouldn't have been listening to it. And...

Squall walked back into the waiting room and sat down, a bit of a distance from Rinoa, but waited. She wasn't talking in her sleep anymore, and he felt relief at that. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear anymore of what she might have said.

—

_(Rinoa's POV)_

Rinoa opened her eyes slowly, and everything seemed to be blurry. She groaned and closed her eyes again, leaning back on — a chair? But... she had been outside, hadn't she? Before she...

Rinoa opened her eyes and sat up suddenly, and she noticed Squall jump at the sudden movement. He was looking at her oddly, and she felt suddenly very self-conscious. She wondered, for a moment, what was going through his mind. She shook that thought away, suddenly embarrassed. What was going on with her lately? _I... I like him. He can be so annoying and frustrating at times, but... sometimes, he slips up. Sometimes, he... he does care. Even when he doesn't want to. And he's funny, and... _Rinoa shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She didn't need to be thinking about this right now.

"I — how long was I knocked out for?" Rinoa asked, turning to face Squall. He didn't look at her at all — he seemed to be avoiding her gaze, and Rinoa frowned.

"Awhile." Squall said finally, and Rinoa groaned in frustration.

"I was kind of leaning towards you know, an actual time?" Rinoa retorted. Squall looked at her for the first time since she had woke up, and she shut her mouth — deciding not to say what she had been going to add. There was something... strange... as if he was... worried? Concerned? Rinoa really couldn't tell. Though she could often read people a lot easier than this, Squall was... well, he was a completely different story. His sad expression could easily mean something like him being happy. He wasn't like everyone else.

"An hour." Though Rinoa wished he would say more than a few words at a time, she let it go and accepted his answer. An hour. Something suddenly came to her mind.

"But how did I get here?" She asked him, and she noticed he looked away pointedly at this.

"You passed out outside. I... happened to be nearby. So I brought you here." Squall replied, and though Rinoa had no doubt that was what had happened, something didn't seem right. She remembered vaguely thinking she had heard him call her when she had been running outside to get some air — but why wouldn't he mention that? No, she decided. It must have been her hearing things.

"Oh. I... well... thank-you, then." Rinoa replied gratefully, and Squall shrugged.

"Whatever." He got up to leave, and Rinoa stood up suddenly, walking over to him.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, reaching out for him, but stopping. Squall didn't turn around.

"What?" He asked.

"They... is everyone still here? Your dad and Nico — and my stepfamily?" Rinoa asked him. It wasn't what she had been going to ask, but she had improvised. She had gotten a little nervous. Squall wasn't exactly being all the reassuring.

"Yeah."

"Oh, okay... Squall?" Rinoa asked again. He sighed and turned around, facing her.

"_What?_" He asked, sounding a little more frustrated this time. Rinoa took a step back, surprised, but didn't let it faze her.

"I... something my dad told me, it... and I..." Rinoa frowned. She wasn't exactly getting this out the way she had planned. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. "He told me something that bothered me. And I really don't want to be around my stepmother or Katie right now... but I know when I ask to leave, they aren't going to let me go by myself. Try to, 'pretend' they care about my well-being, but mainly just try to keep me somewhere I don't want to be. Would you just... come back to the house with me? You don't have to talk," Rinoa rushed, seeing Squall open his mouth to protest. "Just leave with me so they think you're coming with me. I mean, I'm sure you don't want to be here anymore than I do... right?"

"No, I don't." Squall replied after a moments hesitation. "Fine. But you can go in and tell them you're leaving — I'll wait here." Rinoa smiled.

"Thanks, Squall." She thanked him, grateful, and moved past him to go out the door to go back to her fathers hospital room and tell everyone in there she was going home. She wasn't even sure if her stepmother would object to her leaving alone, but, in all honesty... she had wanted to have a chance to be alone with Squall. Even if they didn't talk.

It was strange, really. She had lived with him and his family for quite awhile. And he annoyed her to no end. He couldn't have a proper conversation — a few words here and there. She was lucky if she got a full sentence out of him. It wasn't until he had started talking to her more, not... not really the way she would have liked, but actually talking to her first on the very rare occasion. Saying a bit more than just two words. That was when she realized she... was pretty sure she had feelings for him.

_Of course, _Rinoa thought, standing outside the door to her fathers room, _None of that... none of it matters. He hates me. Or at least... doesn't care about me that way. And I mean, why would he? I'm nothing special, at least not... something that should appeal to him. I know I should tell him, but somehow I think it would be pointless. And if I have to actually stay with him even longer, then I know that... that it will just make things awkward. And I'm positive he doesn't feel the same. I don't know, I'm not going to say it's impossible, I'm not going to knock myself down that way. It's just not how he feels now, and... I don't know. All of this, it's too confusing! _

"Rinoa?" She heard Nico's voice, and realized that the door she had been standing outside of had suddenly opened. She took a step back, embarrassed.

"Oh, hi Nico!" She replied quickly. "Um, I was just... coming to say good-bye to my dad. And tell him that I was going home. Were you?..." Rinoa trailed off. _Please, _she prayed silently, _please don't let her say she's going home. If she goes home, that means Squall won't have to come with me, and we won't be alone, and that's usually when he talks the most..._

"I was just going down to see Laguna in the cafeteria. He had your brother with him, I don't think we should trust him with a child so young for very long," Nico replied smiling. "I'll be off now, I suppose I'll see you and Squall at home then?" Nico added. Rinoa flushed.

"I... Squall... how did you...?"

"I only assumed he would go with you — he hates hospitals, you know. I'm surprised he hasn't left already, but if you are leaving, I'm sure he'd be glad for the excuse to get out of here." Nico added. Rinoa was surprised at this. Though she hadn't exactly thought that Squall was thrilled at the idea of being in a hospital, she had never once gotten the feeling he was hating being there.

"Oh... um, well, I should — go in now," Rinoa replied finally, smiling slightly before entering the hospital room. She saw her stepmother look up at her from her fathers bedside, and narrow her eyes. Rinoa ignored this. She knelt down on the other side of the General's bed.

"Dad," Rinoa told him, grabbing his hand. "I'm going to go back home — I'll see you next time, okay?" She squeezed his hand slightly and looked up at her stepmother. "That is, if it's alright with you?" She was surprised — she had even managed to make it sound almost believable. Her stepmother nodded without a word, and Rinoa got up. With a last look at her father, she left the hospital room and went back to where Squall was waiting.

He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and when he noticed her, he pushed up off of it.

"Thanks for waiting," Rinoa told him, smiling. Squall said nothing, but only nodded to show he had heard her.

—

_(Squall's POV)_

When Rinoa had left to go see her dad again, Squall stepped outside of the waiting room, and froze. What should he do? Though he didn't pretend to care suddenly, he... he wasn't sure what was going on. He didn't think he cared at all about her well-being, and yet he felt this strange urge to help protect her — at least, when no one else was around to. It wasn't exactly even friendship — at least, he wouldn't call it that. It was a strange curiosity. And the knowledge that Nico and his dad would kill him if anything happened to her. _**Keep telling yourself that... **_Squall shook his head as the unwanted thought leaked in.

When she came back up to him, she seemed to be watching him and Squall wanted to tell her to stop, or tell her to go away. He did neither.

"Thanks for waiting," She replied with a smile, and Squall opened his mouth to speak but instantly stopped. Nodding, he continued forwards towards the elevator. Rinoa followed in silently behind him, and pushed the button to go down to the main floor.

Silence filled the air. Neither seemed ready to break it, and though Squall had once welcomed, once embraced, silence, he was now dreading it. It felt somehow awkward. Silence meant time to think about what Rinoa might be thinking — silence meant time to remember that she liked him. Liked... him. It still didn't sound right as he said it to himself.

"Squall..." Rinoa replied suddenly, as the elevator doors opened, "Did I do something?" Squall looked at her blankly.

"W..what?" He asked her, confused. She seemed to regret saying anything, and walked towards the main doors to exit the hospital.

"You... well, you're never one to talk much usually anyway. But you seem really distracted, and... I don't know. Something just feels different. I guess it's just... my imagination." Rinoa replied finally, and Squall stopped walking. She had noticed he was acting strangely. Did it bother him? As he continued walking again, he shook his head. No. He was sure it didn't. Why would it?

"It's not your imagination." Was all he said. Rinoa appeared surprised at this sudden comment, but she said nothing. Squall was sure that she was trying to figure out what she had said — what had happened — but she wouldn't figure it out. And he wouldn't tell her.

_If I bring it up... it might just make her like me longer. And... if we don't talk about it... maybe it will just go away. _Squall shook his head, sighing. _No... it won't just go away. Problems never do. And... I think this would classify as a problem. After this, Rinoa and I can't be anywhere alone — not... not that we're alone a lot, _Squall tried to come to his own mental defense, _but... obviously enough for something to have happened in her eyes. So, no more. I have to make sure there's always someone else around. I guess that might mean I can't even be by myself either... _Squall looked at Rinoa briefly, who seemed to be thinking as well. _This can't go on, Rinoa._

**A/N:** Now I know that some aspects of this make it seem like Squall is the one who has a crush and he's trying to hide it — but it's more along the lines of he knows Rinoa has a crush on him, he knows he shouldn't know that at all — she didn't tell him willingly, he overheard her say it in her sleep. So now, he feels awkward around her because he doesn't know how to react to the situation and he's confused. Not necessarily about _feelings, _yet, but just confused as to the way he's been acting lately, and confused about why Rinoa would like him that way. That aspect I thought might have caused some confusion so I thought I'd clear it up. Hopefully, I did, a little bit. R&R, and I'll get another update probably pretty soon.


	24. Battle Within

**A/N:** Wow thanks so much for the reviews guys, you guys are GREAT. So, I'm going to try to treat you — might be this chapter, might be next, I'm not sure it'll depend on how things progress, and how this works out, but it might be an extra good 'feel-good' chapter, or an extra long chapter, or a few updates at once — not sure yet. Anyway, thanks again for reviewing :) R&R, your thoughts are always welcome. Here's the chapter.

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft (now known as SquareEnix) not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty-Four: Battle Within

_(Squall's POV)_

When they arrived at the Caraway Mansion, neither said anything. Most of the walk home, they had said nothing. Squall saw Rinoa looking around, and stared at her, both curious and confused. _What is she doing?... _Squall thought, trying to see what she was looking at.

"Rinoa," Squall started, "What are you..?"

"There it is!" She exclaimed finally, feeling around on top of the door entrance. Squall watched as she jumped and tried to grab at something, and he finally realized that she was jumping and trying to grab a key to get back into the house. She wasn't having much luck, and he rolled his eyes.

"Move," He told her, walking up and stopping next to her. Being a fair bit taller than her, he reached up and grabbed the keys no problem. He felt his face heating up slightly against his will as he realized that Rinoa was watching him, watching as he stretched to grab the keys — and he quickly brought his arm to his side again and tossed the keys at her. He moved away quickly and leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the door. She stared at him for a moment, looking as if she wanted to say something, but then seeming to have changed her mind.

"Thanks," She muttered under her breath, and she went to unlock the door. She opened it and walked inside, and it wasn't until Squall was sure she must have gotten far enough away that he followed inside.

He struggled for a moment to remember where he was supposed to be staying, when Rinoa suddenly popped out in front of him. He was startled at her sudden appearance, but tried hard to regain his composure and return to his regular state.

"What?" He asked her indifferently. Or at least, he hoped that was how it came off.

"My stepmother sent the cooks home for the weekend, because... apparently her and my father were supposed to go out for the weekend. So, I called to ask what they wanted, well I mainly called to see what your dad and Nico would want since I don't really — um, anyway," Rinoa cut herself off, realizing she had been about to go into a rant, "Nico said that she and your dad were going out to dinner with my stepsister and stepmother. She asked if we were going — I said I wasn't, and that if you were going to go I'd call her back to tell her. Um... are you?" Rinoa asked awkwardly. Squall stood there silently for awhile. _If I don't go, I'll be here alone with Rinoa. I sort of wanted to avoid that... but if I go, I'll be around her stepsister... who is just a bit... and then there'd be dad, and he can be... _Squall looked up, realizing he had been quiet for quite awhile now.

"No," He replied before he could stop himself. "I'll — just... stay here." He saw Rinoa seemed to look happy with that response and he had to stop himself from groaning in frustration. This... it wasn't going to be easy. It seemed that now when he was trying to avoid being alone with Rinoa, he was getting himself into even more situations where he was!

"Okay," Rinoa replied cheerfully. "Um, did you... want anything particular to eat?" Rinoa asked him. Squall shrugged.

"...No." He said. Rinoa motioned for him to follow, which he did reluctantly, and she lead him to the kitchen. She pulled out a bunch of little menus and put them on the counter. There were stools to sit at by the counter, and she sat down on one. Squall did the same opposite of her.

"Okay, these are a bunch of takeout menus that we've had for — well, quite awhile. We throw out old ones and replace them with the new ones as we need to. So, we can order a lot of stuff... maybe you'll see something that will catch your eye? I really don't care about where we order, soo..." Rinoa trailed off. Squall sighed and grabbed one of the menus, looking through it.

Rinoa grabbed another menu and began leafing through it, and put it back, not seeing anything she really felt like having. Squall did the same, and eventually they had gone through all of them.

"Maybe we should have agreed to go out with them..." Rinoa replied, tired of looking through the menus. "They weren't going to go for awhile, but..."

"How long?" Squall asked. He wanted to know how much longer he had of being stuck here alone with her — though so far nothing had happened that was overly awkward, he was afraid that it was moments like this that had made her like him in the first place — and since he didn't want her to like him at all, he definitely didn't want to do anything that would make her like him even _more._

"They were going to leave in another hour. Then, they'd probably be there for about an hour. My stepmother will probably do the whole 'tour of Deling City' for them... maybe a half hour to an hour there, depending on how much of it she does. So... they'll be gone awhile. I wish she hadn't sent the cooks home," Rinoa added. Squall looked up at her. She didn't seem to him like someone who had to rely on servants and cooks all the time — she had never acted as if she were spoiled by that whenever she had been at his house.

"Why?" He asked her, not being able to contain his curiosity.

"Because," Rinoa replied, sighing. "They could cook."

"You can't cook...? But what about that day when you were making pancakes...?" Squall asked. Rinoa appeared embarrassed.

"Nico made the mix, I just poured it in the pan. And breakfast foods are a lot easier for me, I always had to make breakfast, but not..." She trailed off. They sat there in silence for awhile. Squall knew he could cook, but... he wouldn't mention that unless they absolutely couldn't come up with anything to order. Or do. _This is... actually... kind of awkward._ Squall thought to himself, avoiding Rinoa's gaze as she looked at him once again. _I really should have went to that stupid restaurant with Nico and Dad, but... well, Rinoa's family isn't that great, and even mine at the best of times... _"Everything okay?"

Squall's head shot up as he heard Rinoa talk to him. She had asked — if everything was okay. She sounded concerned, but Squall knew he shouldn't have seemed so surprised at that.

"Y-y... yeah." Squall said finally. Rinoa continued looking at him, as though she didn't believe him, and Squall was sure she probably didn't. But... everything was okay, right? He kept telling himself that. It helped to ignore the situation.

"Well..." Rinoa started, standing up. "Why don't we at least see what's in the house? Who knows, maybe I'll find something I can co—"

"I can cook." Squall replied quietly, so quietly he was sure that Rinoa probably hadn't even heard him. And it seemed he was right, because she asked him to repeat what he had said. "I can cook," He repeated a little more loudly this time. Rinoa stared at him, surprised.

"I... well... do you... want to... cook?" She asked him. Squall sighed and mentally chastised himself for even bringing it up. Rinoa looked positively thrilled at the idea, though he actually noticed her face reddening slightly. He was about to contemplate why it would be, when he clued it that as he had zoned off for a few minutes, he hadn't taken his eyes off her. He looked away quickly, and decided he wouldn't look at her again for awhile — too... awkward.

"...might as well," He replied after awhile. Rinoa smiled.

"I wouldn't have pictured you as the cooking type," She replied, sounding very amused, but staring at her feet awkwardly. Squall shrugged and said nothing. "Well, do you... need any help?" She sounded hopeful, and Squall realized she just wanted an excuse to hang around and see him cook. He sighed. _I... don't get this. I ... don't want to be around her more than I have to, because... I know how she feels. And I guess... maybe... I'm worried she'll expect something from me. Expect me to... feel the same. _He saw Rinoa still staring at him expectantly, and he sighed and nodded.

"I— sure. Why... don't you look and see what you want?" He said, trying to get her occupied with doing anything else but staring at him. He needed time to think, to... be by himself. _After we eat, _he told himself, _I'll... say I'm not feeling well. And go to bed. Or just sneak out... _He shook his head, annoyed with himself suddenly. _Since when do I need to make excuses for going off? _Squall saw Rinoa reaching into the freezer and looking at what was in it, trying to see what she might have wanted, and he found himself staring at her, a million thoughts running through his head. When she turned around and saw him watching her, he quickly looked away. _So much for not looking at her... _he thought to himself.

"Uh, d-d-do... you... like soup?" Rinoa asked him, clearly embarrassed and surprised that he had been watching her. He figured he'd have to make it up to himself by not allowing anything like that to happen again. _It's not as if... I like her. As a friend, or anything else. I'm just... not used to someone... well, liking ME. _Squall felt satisfied at that answer, and pushed the evil voice that was trying to contradict him in his mind away.

"...you found soup in the freezer?" He asked her. She shook her head furiously.

"N-no!" Squall felt like groaning. Now, not only were they very, very alone in a huge house where he still couldn't seem to get away from her, but now she was acting very nervous and embarrassed around him. Not that he necessarily liked talking like normal, he told himself. Just that the nervousness made it more awkward for him. Harder to ignore what he had heard...

—

_(Rinoa's POV)_

She felt like hitting herself in the head. Hard. And disappearing on the spot. What was she saying!? She was stuttering like a girl with... _Like a girl with a stupid crush._ Rinoa thought sadly. She looked up and saw Squall wasn't looking at her, and she frowned. He wasn't exactly the most observant person when it came to people and their emotions, he didn't seem to have a lot of experience with that from the time she had known him. So, why was it he seemed to feel he couldn't look at her, or... _he couldn't... know? I mean, I just realized I might... well, that I probably... like... him... really recently. There's no way it's that obvious. _Rinoa found herself worried suddenly. It wasn't that obvious... was it?

_Okay, _she told herself, taking a deep breath. _You can't stutter around him like that all of a sudden. You got thrown off a bit, when you saw him... looking at you. But he probably wasn't even looking at you then! _She nodded to herself, glad Squall was busying himself with something else. _He thinks a lot, you know? He probably just zoned out and I... got in the way. That's all. _Rinoa sighed — liking someone she'd be around a lot wasn't easy. At least, not when that someone was Squall. And not when she was still technically dating Devin.

_Well, we're not really... 'dating'... we went out once. And talked. And he betrayed me, he's working for my stepmother. Stepmother... if I was sure I wouldn't have to come here, I'd call her Gabriella. I know how much she hates it when I call her by her name instead. I remember when she wanted me to call her mom, when she first moved here — yeah, like THAT would ever happen._

"Rinoa?" Rinoa looked over at Squall, who seemed to be looking at her impatiently. She smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, could you... repeat that?" She asked him. He walked over to her, though he seemed reluctant to do it.

"I said," He started, looking in the freezer, "What kind of soup did you want? I'm assuming you meant you wanted to make it from scratch, since you never really elaborated..." Squall trailed off, looking at her. She felt her face heat up under his piercing gaze, but she told herself she wouldn't fall apart at it — she had to act normal.

"I guess... chicken noodle?" She replied with a smile. Squall shook his head, and she thought she saw a hint of a smirk on his face, but if it had even been really there it was gone very shortly after.

"You do have everything for that, right?" He asked her, looking at the various cupboards surrounding the kitchen as he grabbed some chicken out of the freezer. Rinoa crossed her arms.

"Of course! I just... don't remember which cupboard they kept it in... so..."

"We have to figure out where it is?" Squall offered. Rinoa nodded.

"Exactly. But I need a chair..." Rinoa added, looking around to see where the nearest one was. Squall stared at her blankly.

"Why?" He asked.

"As you discovered when I tried to get the key to get into the house, I'm not exactly the tallest person in the world. Oh! There's a chair," Rinoa added, walking over to it. It seemed pretty sturdy, so she dragged it over to the cupboards. She distinctly saw Squall shake his head, as if he had a feeling that standing on a chair was a bad idea. "If you have something to say, say it." She told him, as she got up on the chair. He was standing next to her and she stared down at him. "Heh, I'm taller than you!" She added jokingly. Squall didn't smile.

"You're going to fall." He told her, crossing his arms.

"And since when do you care?" She asked him, turning to the cupboards and looking through them on the top shelves. When Squall didn't answer, she looked back at him and saw he seemed to be wondering that himself. She smiled slightly, but quickly wiped it off her face — she didn't want him to notice. She turned back to her search for noodles and some kind of package flavouring she could use.

"I... don't." Squall said finally.

"Sure about that? Took you awhile to answer." Rinoa added, amused. She saw Squall glaring at her, and she stopped smiling. "I was just joking," She added hastily.

"Well, good. Because I don't care." Squall repeated. Rinoa raised an eyebrow and turned to him.

"I know?" She said questioningly. "Is something...?"

"I just didn't want to listen to you whine about it when you did. I'll go look on the other side and look," Squall added, changing the subject. Rinoa contemplated changing it back and asking him, but changed her mind at the last minute. Why bother?

"Well, then it's lucky for you that I WON'T fa—" Rinoa looked down at the chair as she heard the cracking noise — _no, it can't be — they would have replaced the broken chair, it was months ago! But then again, with me being gone they probably would have just used mine, and — oh no..._ Rinoa went to get off the chair but it had already cracked. She closed her eyes and waited to fall painfully on the floor, or possibly even on the chair leg that had been previously just glued back on the chair. _'So that one wouldn't be missing from the set', _Rinoa remembered her stepmother saying. _'Until we can replace it, we can't possibly have a missing chair.' _She had said.

The fall never came. Rinoa opened her eyes and saw Squall place her down on the ground gently. She smiled weakly at him, and moved away from him quickly.

"Uh, thanks. You seem to get me out of a lot of sticky situations, don't you?" She added jokingly. She stared awkwardly at her feet when Squall didn't say anything. "I'm sorry," She said finally. "I never thought — well, we had this broken chair, right, and... my stepmother at the time hadn't wanted to replace it. She's got this obsession with needing a complete set, so she was waiting until she could find another chair like it, or else until she found a new set she liked — but I had left shortly after, so none of them had to sit on the broken chair anymore. I thought they would have gotten rid of it by now, I never looked and saw the leg... I mean, the chair seemed stable enough," Rinoa added, rambling on. "I just... well..."

"Forget it," Squall told her, thankfully putting her out of her misery. "You fell. It's not a big deal." Rinoa nodded, and looked back at the cupboard she had previously been looking in. Squall seemed to return to the search as well, and was doing whatever he could to stay on the other side of the kitchen. She crossed her arms and tilted her head, looking at him curiously.

"Squall?" He turned around and looked at her.

"What?" He asked quietly.

"Uh, the cupboard — it had the stuff we need. I was reaching for it when the chair..." She trailed off and turned away so that he couldn't see her face as she felt it heat up as she remembered him catching her. _How embarrassing... _She thought. She saw out of the corner of her eye something moving and when she turned, she saw Squall was beside her and reaching up into the cupboard.

"This?" He asked her, pulling the stuff out. Rinoa nodded.

"...yeah," She muttered. Squall seemed to stare at her for a moment, and she felt like a bug under a microscope, but she didn't back away. Finally, he grabbed the chicken that had finished thawing in the microwave and put it in the pot of water once it had started to boil. Rinoa stood there awkwardly, and didn't say anything.

"Anything else you want in it?" Rinoa looked up, surprised to see Squall talking to her.

"Uh, sorry?" Rinoa asked. Squall indicated the counter where they had put the stuff they needed.

"...in the soup? Some people like traditional, others like..." Rinoa couldn't help it anymore — she started to laugh, and once she started, she couldn't stop. She keeled over and held her stomach, trying not to laugh out loud but not being able to contain it. She could picture Squall's face as he watched her laughing, and it just made it even more funny to her.

"...what?" He asked her, not seeming to get what was so funny. Rinoa couldn't say anything for a few moments, but once she started to regain her composure, she stood up straight again.

"You... sounded... so serious..." She said, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She saw Squall frown, and she tried to stop smiling. "I'm — sorry..." She apologized — not laughing when she wanted to, was a lot harder to do than she had thought it would be. She took a deep breath and felt herself calm down – a little. "Um, maybe... carrots?" Rinoa suggested, finally trying to be serious. "Uh, I can cut them up... and then... yeah..." Rinoa turned and grabbed the cutting board, and turned to the fridge. She saw Squall wasn't paying attention, so as she opened the fridge door, she hid her face with it and finally let out the smile she'd been holding back. _For someone who never talks, he seems to have a lot to say about cooking... _Rinoa thought, amused. She closed her eyes. _Okay Rinoa get focused — he'll never forgive you if you burst out laughing again. Though at least he didn't say 'whatever'._

—

_(Squall's POV)_

When he heard her laughing, he was completely clueless. _At least she doesn't seem as nervous... not... that I care, or anything. _Squall quickly added. Their earlier comments rang through his head...

"_You're going to fall." He told her, crossing his arms._

"_And since when do you care?" She asked him._

"_I... don't." Squall said finally._

"_Sure about that? Took you awhile to answer." Rinoa added, amused. She saw Squall glaring at her, and she stopped smiling. "I was just joking," She added hastily. _

Squall sighed and looked over at Rinoa, who was busy chopping up carrots and didn't notice his glance. He looked back down at the chicken on the stove and shook his head. _What's getting into me? Why am I letting what she says... get to me like that? _He had heard her chair crack, and he'd been... a bit concerned. He wouldn't deny that. He had just expected her to lose her balance and fall, not have the chair give in underneath her. Yet it had. And he had rushed over to catch her, and... **Didn't exactly drop her the instant she was safe enough to be on her feet? **Squall shook his head as the evil voice intruded on his thoughts. It was true; he had waited until she realized she wasn't on the ground, it had seemed to take him that long to realize what was going on.

This... whole issue with her liking him was what it was. _That's got to be what's making me weird... _Squall decided, feeling falsely relieved. _After all, I'm just not used to it. It's even more awkward than... well, anything else I can think of. _Yet he found himself thinking about Rinoa again for the first time since... **You first found out Rinoa had a date with someone. **Squall shook his head as that unwanted thought came to him. Even if that was true, he... it... it didn't matter.

**A/N**: Well, there's this chapter done :) I don't know how well it worked for you guys, buuuut well, what's done is done I guess, I'm a little unsure about many aspects of this chapter and I guess I'll just have to wait and see. At first, I was going to have them order out. Then I was going to have Squall cook instead — then, I changed it to them GOING somewhere and eating, and then to them just fending for themselves – and finally came back to this. Yeah, so I'm a tad insecure about how it may have turned out... Oh, and for the microwave thing... some microwaves, or at least mine, has the thaw option... you put in a certain time depending on the weight, and it has a specific temperature that won't cook the meat, but thaw it enough to cook... just thought I'd clear that up, it sounded kind of funny to me and I didn't know how to phrase it, sooo that's why I'm adding it in here.


	25. Brooding and Dreams Part 1

**A/N:** Okay, so I started this right after updating last night, but I never actually finished it until today 'cause I ended up getting off the computer last night (had to do the birthday thing, it was my dads birthday, woot lol). Anyways, a lot of you have reviewed already, so thanks to everyone who has reviewed already and here's the latest update. Thanks to everyone who dropped me a review and encouraged, or helped me out, or just said they enjoyed the story. This chapters for you guys :) Also thanks to Emerald-Latias for a particular event, it'll be mentioned in the ending authors note so as not to spoil now. R&R!

**Disclaimer:** As usual, Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty-Five: Brooding and Dreams Part 1

_(Squall's POV)_

For the most part, they worked pretty silently. Squall wasn't sure if it was an awkward silence, or if they just didn't really need to say anything. He said a silent thank-you when Rinoa stopped staring at him, watching what he was doing. It made it a lot easier to pretend to have not heard what he did at all. _Besides, _Squall told himself, _it's just a... crush. Big deal, right? So you're not used to that, she'll... like someone else eventually. _

"Anything else you need me to do?" Rinoa asked, interrupting Squall's thoughts. He looked at the pot that was now containing the contents of their soup, and shook his head.

"...not really. I can handle it from here," He added, hinting for her to leave. She didn't seem hurt at the hint — that was a good sign, he decided. Rinoa didn't leave right away, but set to cleaning the counter and putting the knife she had been using in the sink. Squall turned and looked at the clock — by what Rinoa had told him, their families should probably be just getting at the restaurant and ordering. Even still, he found himself hoping they were a lot further along in the evening than she had said they probably would be. Though things seemed to be going okay for the moment, he really didn't want to be alone with Rinoa more than he had to be.

"Do you want me to go now?" Rinoa asked, surprising Squall. She had turned around to face him and was casually leaning against the counter. She seemed... normal. Though he could tell by looking at her face that she was just trying to hide her real feelings from him. _Or maybe you're just looking into it too much, _Squall argued with himself. He sighed. He did want her to go — he had been repeating that in his head the entire time they had been getting the ingredients for the soup ready, and the whole time they had been stuck in the kitchen like this. So why hadn't he said anything yet?

"It... doesn't really matter," Squall said finally. _What do you mean, 'doesn't really matter'? What happened to 'Why won't she just leave?' or 'Maybe I shouldn't have offered to do this after all...'? _Squall turned and saw Rinoa smile slightly.

"Oh, okay. I thought maybe I was bothering you. I know you don't... really like being around people too much, do you? Not enough time to think, if you're getting distracted." Rinoa added, looking away from him and walking over to the fridge. Squall narrowed his eyes, suspicious at first, but then shook his head. If he acted suspicious, she'd notice. And then she'd comment on it. And then he'd have to endure her stuttering and listen to the awkward silence. Busy silence was a lot easier to live with than the awkward silence when two people wanted to either say or do something (for Squall personally, just wanted to leave) but didn't know if they could or should, or what would happen if they did.

"I have plenty of time to think," Squall said, and Rinoa pulled herself away from the fridge and looked at him.

"Really? What were you... thinking about?" She asked, and she handed him a bottle of juice from the fridge. He took it gratefully and went to the stove, stirring the soup a bit, before returning to where he had been standing.

"What makes you think I'd tell you?" He shot back at her, taking a sip of the drink she had handed him. Rinoa jumped up so that she was sitting on the counter, and she looked down at her feet, stretching her legs out for a moment before bringing them back up against the cupboard below.

"Well, I didn't actually think you'd tell me. But you can't blame me for asking," Rinoa said after awhile. "You kind of go off in your own little world a lot, don't you?" She asked him after a few minutes had passed. Squall shrugged.

"Thoughts..." He started, but the phone rang. Rinoa smiled apologetically at him and went over to the phone to answer it. Squall didn't pay attention as Rinoa was talking on the phone, and just leaned against the counter and stared at the pot on the stove, watching the steam come up off of it. _The excitement in my life's unbearable, _he found himself thinking sarcastically, at the realization he was literally watching water boil. He turned and saw Rinoa was still on the phone, curling the phone wire around her finger and completely immersed in the conversation she was having with whoever was on the other end.

"Yeah, we're both here," Squall heard her say, and he turned to her, realizing she must have meant him. She covered the bottom of the phone and said, 'It's Selphie,' before turning around again and talking into the phone.

Squall looked at the soup and stirred it a bit, looking to see if it was cooked enough. He heard Rinoa laughing and he shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the sound.

"No, they went out for dinner, they won't be back until later." Squall froze — she must have been talking about their families going out for dinner. And how the two of them were alone in the house. _Get a hold of yourself! _Squall scolded himself. _Who cares what any of her friends think? _He turned the heat off and looked at the cupboards. He had no idea where any of their dishes were in the kitchen, and Rinoa seemed pretty distracted. He tried to remember what ones he had looked through earlier, to narrow down the possible spots the bowls could be. And, yet, he couldn't remember any of the cupboards he had looked in.

"Lovely..." He muttered, looking around. Well, the only way to find out without asking was to start throwing open cupboards.

When the first few he opened didn't show him what he was looking for, he didn't think anything of it. Until, that is, he got to the last cupboard, and still had found nothing. He turned to Rinoa, who, though she was listening to whatever Selphie must have been saying to her, was watching him, with an amused expression on her face. He didn't smile.

"Where are your dishes?" He asked her finally, crossing his arms.

"Uh, Selphie, it was really nice talking to you, but we're going to eat so I should go. Thanks for calling, though, I'll try and call you back soon. Yeah, bye," Rinoa said into the phones receiver. She hung it up and turned to Squall.

"You know, you could have just asked, I would have told you they weren't in here." She told him with a smile. Squall put his head in his hands and groaned in frustration.

"Yeah, well YOU were watching me. You could have stopped me," He shot back. Rinoa shrugged.

"It was a lot more fun watching you look for them." She said. She walked over to what looked like it was their pantry, and Squall looked over her shoulder to see all the bowls he had been looking at were in there. "We used to keep them in the cupboards, where you were looking," Rinoa said, as if he needed to know. She handed him two bowls and closed the door. "But when my stepmother moved in, she completely rearranged this kitchen. I guess she didn't want any reminder of how my mother had kept it arranged." Squall must have looked as if he was about to look for the silverware, because Rinoa quickly pushed him gently aside and opened the drawer and grabbed it out for him.

"Just so you don't go crazy looking for it," She told him teasingly.

"...whatever," Squall said, and he was surprised when he heard Rinoa say it just seconds before him. She started to laugh.

"Oh boy... you're so predictable," She told him, laughing behind her hand. _Am I really that predictable? _Squall however pretended to ignore what she had said and started to pour out their soup into the bowls.

"You can go into the dining room, I can bring it in myself," He told her, as he finished filling the bowls. He saw Rinoa give him a strange look and he turned to her. "W-what?" He asked her, surprised.

"...you want to serve me? Gee, I didn't think you were the romantic type," She added, putting her hands on her hips. Squall took a step back and found he had backed up into the counter and jabbed himself hard with the handle on the drawer. _W-wha... Rinoa... that's not what I meant... _"You know..." Rinoa said, speaking again, "I can't hear your thoughts. You might try voicing them every now and then."

"That's... not what I meant," Squall said, finally finding his voice. "I just meant — well, I've lived with you for awhile, I know what... you can be like..." He seemed to have gotten her attention at least. "You'd probably drop it, or spill it all over yourself, and I'd just end up bringing more in for you anyway. Why not just skip that?"

"Hey!" Rinoa exclaimed. "...you're mean." She added, turning away from him. "But... I think that's a first for you." Squall stared blankly back at her, confused. What was a first for him? Rinoa seemed to notice his confusion when she turned to face him. "Joking. You scared me for a minute, you were almost acting like a normal person! But if that's the story you're sticking to, fine, I'll wait in the dining room. Good luck finding it!" She added, running off. Squall took a moment to register what she had said. _Find... it? Wait... she means... I don't know where it is. _

"Rinoa!" Squall called, going out into the hall. "Where is it?" He waited. And waited some more. Yet no answer called back to him to put him out of his misery. He sighed and looked at the soup on the counter. _Well, _he thought, _might as well start looking. _He picked up the soup and put it on a tray that Rinoa had gotten out earlier, so that it was easier to carry.

"Rinoa, you could at least tell me where your dining room is!" He shouted again, as he started to walk through the halls. "You know," Squall muttered under his breath, "You'd think it would be near the kitchen... but it isn't."

"Did you know that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity?" Squall heard a voice come from behind him, and all of a sudden something furry darted past him and he tripped. The soup flew into the air and just as he managed to turn over onto his back to see Rinoa was the one who had spoke, the soup fell on his stomach.

"...did you know that startling someone with hot soup ISN'T a good idea?" Squall responded, sitting up. Rinoa seemed surprised.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, kneeling down beside him.

"Yeah, fine." He told her. "But... well, it's a good thing we made a lot of that soup." Squall said, putting the bowls back on the tray that had fallen to the ground beside him. He looked down at his shirt — not only was it soaked, but it was soaked with really hot soup.

"I'm sorry..." Rinoa said sheepishly, picking up the tray and standing up. "I didn't think you'd get that scared and trip." She added. Squall stood up, still observing his shirt.

"I didn't get scared and tripped. I was startled, and tripped over... do you have a cat?" He asked suddenly.

"Uh, my stepsister does... why? Oh! Was that why you tripped?" She asked him. Squall nodded. "Oh, so then it _wasn't _my fault." Rinoa said to him. Squall rolled his eyes.

"Technically not."

"You, uh, might want to..." Rinoa's voice trailed off, and Squall saw her embarrassingly indicate his soaked shirt. He realized suddenly that it was clinging very tightly to him and had become almost see through, and realized what had suddenly gotten into her. _I thought only girls were supposed to care if their shirts got a little see through... _he thought briefly. He turned around quickly so she couldn't see his wet shirt anymore.

"Uh, I'll go... change." He said awkwardly.

"I'll... go get more soup." He heard Rinoa's footsteps retreating and he sighed. _Might as well go change now... _he thought. _And I said she'd probably fall. _He walked up the stairs and tried to remember which room Rinoa had told him was his to stay in. The first door he opened was definitely not to his room — bright pink walls covered with posters of boy bands and cute animals. He saw a bunch of pictures of Rinoa's stepsister with what he assumed were her friends, and quickly closed the door. The last thing he wanted to do was be anywhere near Katie's room. _I hate being in unfamiliar places... _Squall found himself thinking. The next door seemed to be in a familiar part of the hallway, so he pushed it open gently.

This still wasn't the room he was staying in, and the walls were pink again, but his curiosity kept him from just shutting the door and leaving. He saw a picture on the wall that looked as if it had been drawn by a little kid — Sammy, he realized — and saw a picture of a woman that looked a lot like Rinoa. Squall couldn't help it; he walked into her room and looked at the picture in the frame. Though he could see the differences between the two, he could also see a lot of similarities in their appearance. _Rinoa's mother... _Squall realized. Most of the pictures in Rinoa's room were of her mother, and a smiling little girl — he recognized the little girl to be Rinoa immediately. There was a bookcase in the corner of her room filled with different books, but also holding more framed pictures of her and her family. Not one of the pictures showed her and her stepmother, but there was one picture that caught his attention.

It was sitting on Rinoa's desk, which was completely bare except for the odd sheet of paper and this photograph. It showed what looked like a six year old Rinoa and...

"Squall?" Squall jumped as he heard Rinoa's voice from the end of the hall. He quickly got out of her room, closing the door quietly behind him, and walked towards the other side of the hall away from it. When Rinoa caught up to him, she was avoiding looking at him.

"Yeah?" Squall asked, his heart racing from almost being caught in her room. _Not that she'd probably care, but... well... I hate when people go in my room when I don't know about it. Even though I have nothing to hide. If... if I found out someone had been in it, I'd be upset. I shouldn't have gone in her room, not once I realized it wasn't the one I was supposed to put my stuff in... _

"I thought maybe you'd got lost, you'd been gone a little while and I remembered you aren't used to it here. The halls are pretty confusing — you turn down one and you've somehow come back in a full circle. And," Rinoa added, taking a moment to look at his shirt, "Since you haven't changed, I'm guessing I was right and you haven't gotten changed yet. Come on, I'll show you your room again." Squall didn't object, and Rinoa went ahead of him and opened the door to the room just a bit down the hall from her own.

"T..thanks," He said.

"Hey Squall?" Rinoa asked, after he had passed her and got into the room. He turned around and looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"Earlier... before Selphie called. You were saying something. About... thoughts? You never got a chance to finish what you were saying. Do you... remember?" Squall stared at her and tried to remember what she was talking about. _"You kind of go off in your own little world a lot, don't you?"_

"Oh, that..." Squall said, remembering what she was talking about. "I was just... going to say that thoughts are the one thing you can guarantee are private. Safe. If... you tell other people things, you never know if they might tell someone else. If you think it, you know it's just... between you and your mind. It can be peaceful, having that privacy. Even if people can..." _Snoop through your stuff? _Squall thought, thinking of Rinoa's room again. "Invade in your privacy, you know they can never get your thoughts or use them against you, not... if they don't know what they are." Squall felt a little awkward at confiding that much in Rinoa — it wasn't much but it felt as if he was telling her a lot more than he wanted to regardless.

"Um, Rinoa... your stepsister Katie. Do... did... you guys... were you close when you were little?" Squall asked finally. Rinoa seemed very surprised at his question, and she immediately turned around so that he couldn't see her expression.

"No. Why are you asking me that?" She asked him, sounding a little angry.

"Uh, no reason." Rinoa left as soon as he said that, and he closed the door to his room behind him. He started rummaging through his stuff to look for a clean shirt.

_Rinoa... the reason I asked if you were close when you were little was because... that picture in your room had you and another girl in it. That other girl was your stepsister Katie... and both of you looked a lot happier around each other than I've seen you look whenever you're around her now. Though I haven't seen her much around you, I just... can't help but wonder what happened. _Squall sighed and sat down on the bed, falling back so that he was staring at the ceiling. It wasn't any of his business why Rinoa might not be close to her stepsister anymore. He had met her, he knew the way she acted. But... _we're a lot more innocent when we're little. We can still be mean, but we're a lot more trusting. I used to trust Seifer once, when we were... really little. That alone shows me we can be misguided. But if Rinoa hates her stepsister so much, why did she keep that picture?_

**A/N:** Okay, though I didn't use it quite to the context of what it was suggested, the soup spilling thing was suggested by Emerald-Latias and I just sort of played around with it to write it into the story because I liked the idea. This chapter was more along the lines to give you an insight into Rinoa's stepsister, because though we've seen her stepmother Gabriella is 'bad' in this story and is responsible for a lot of bad things that have happened, we've only really seen the selfish side of Katie where she's just seen through Rinoa's point of view as being someone Rinoa can't stand being around — and I wanted to introduce the fact that they weren't always against each other, as well as to give some extra insight into Squall's character and bringing up again how he and Seifer knew each other when they were little. I think the next chapter will be entirely Rinoa based, but I'm not sure yet. Thanks to everyone whose reviewed the last chapter already, and here's a new one for you.


	26. Brooding and Dreams Part 2

**A/N:** With school coming up, I really want to get ahead on some aspects of this story and at the moment it's the most fun one to update hehe (though eventually I'll have to try working on the others as well I suppose..) Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed so fast already, you guys rock! It seems the last chapter went down well, and I had it mentioned to me that it would be interesting to back track just a LITTLE to show Rinoa's perspective on the soup incident, so that's probably where I'll start this story is right when she left Squall in the kitchen. Depending on how it works out. Hmm, I should stop typing here and start the chapter... hehe. R&R!

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy VIII and all related characters belong to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty-Six: Brooding and Dreams Part 2

_(Rinoa's POV)_

"Hey!" Rinoa exclaimed. "...you're mean." She added, turning away from him. "But... I think that's a first for you." Squall stared blankly back at her, clearly confused.

"Joking." Rinoa told him, when she saw he wasn't figuring it out on his own. "You scared me for a minute, you were almost acting like a normal person! But if that's the story you're sticking to, fine, I'll wait in the dining room. Good luck finding it!" Rinoa added, before running off. She knew it would probably take Squall a moment to realize what she had meant at the end, and by then, she'd already be in the dining room.

She heard Squall call her name, and she turned and went into the nearest room so he wouldn't see what end of the hallway she had gone down to get to the dining room. She waited until she thought he was gone, and went to sneak back out into the halls and get to the dining room when she just barely saw him step out of the kitchen and start heading down the hallway the wrong way. Deciding that she would have to set him straight as to where to go, she started walking behind him.

"Rinoa, you could at least tell me where your dining room is!" Squall shouted down the halls. Rinoa put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter as she realized he had no idea she was following close behind him. "You know," She heard him mutter, "You'd think it would be near the kitchen... but it isn't."

"Did you know that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity?" Rinoa told him, moving closer to him. She had thought he'd be startled, sure, but she had no idea he would react the way that he did. He jumped and turned around just in time to trip. He fell on his stomach, the soup flying into the air, and he turned to see her and the soup fell into his lap.

"...did you know that startling someone with hot soup ISN'T a good idea?" Squall responded, sitting up. Rinoa took a step back, startled for a moment and surprised. Finally, she knelt down beside him, keeping her distance but wanting to be sure he was okay.

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah, fine." He told her. "But... well, it's a good thing we made a lot of that soup." Squall said, putting the bowls back on the tray that had fallen to the ground beside him.

"I'm sorry..." Rinoa said sheepishly, picking up the tray and standing up. "I didn't think you'd get that scared and trip." She added. Squall stood up, still observing his shirt.

"I didn't get scared and tripped. I was startled, and tripped over... do you have a cat?" He asked her suddenly.

"Uh, my stepsister does... why? Oh! Was that why you tripped?" She asked him. Squall nodded. "Oh, so then it _wasn't _my fault." Rinoa said to him. Squall rolled his eyes.

"Technically not."

"You, uh, might want to..." Rinoa trailed off and pointed to his shirt. It was completely soaked from the soup, and it was clinging to his stomach. It had gotten a bit see through, and Rinoa immediately looked away when she realized he had seen her staring. He seemed just as embarrassed about the situation, though, because he turned around so she couldn't see his shirt anymore.

"Uh, I'll go... change." He said to her, starting to head for the stairs.

"I'll... go get more soup." Rinoa turned around and quickly headed to the kitchen. Once she was sure she was out of Squall's view, she let out the breath she had been holding and leaned against the wall. She hadn't meant to stare at him that way, it had just sort of... happened. She felt like an idiot, especially upon realizing he had noticed how embarrassed she had seem. Or at least it looked as if he had noticed. _He must have been pretty embarrassed too, _Rinoa thought, falling to the ground so that she was sitting on the floor. _He turned away pretty quickly. Squall, embarrassed... that's kind of cute, it's not like him at all. _Rinoa sighed and shook her head furiously. Though she hadn't intended to, she couldn't get the image out of her head. _Get a grip Rinoa! _She scolded herself.

"I better hurry up and get the soup dished out before he's done getting changed and comes down to catch me daydreaming," Rinoa said to herself. She poured more soup into the two bowls, and headed down the hallway with the tray to the dining room. After Squall tripping over Katie's cat, Rinoa was very careful not to make the same mistake and kept her eyes scanning the surrounding area for any sign of the feline.

Rinoa managed to get to the dining room without tripping, and she set the dishes out on the table and sat down, waiting. After a few minutes had passed, she wondered for a moment if Squall even remembered where she had told him his room was. _Probably not, _Rinoa thought with a smile. _That would be just like him to forget, and besides, it can get confusing. _She smiled gleefully to herself at the excuse to go upstairs and see him and make sure he had found his way alright. **Who knows, he might have left his door open while he was changing his shirt... **Rinoa shook her head as the evil voice invaded on her thoughts, and she felt her face heat up. _I was not happy because that was a possibility! _She thought back, and then she groaned. Great. Now _she _was talking to herself.

"Squall?" Rinoa called out once she got to the top of the stairs. She saw him standing across the hall from her room, and she walked up to him.

"Yeah?" Squall asked, turning to look at her. Rinoa frowned — something was wrong with him. He seemed nervous, and she knew that couldn't be because of anything she had done, though she felt her heart give an involuntary leap at the thought. She shook it away — that wasn't what was up with him, she decided. He was probably still just a little embarrassed at catching her look so thoroughly at him when he had spilled the soup on himself earlier.

"I thought maybe you'd got lost, you'd been gone a little while and I remembered you aren't used to it here. The halls are pretty confusing — you turn down one and you've somehow come back in a full circle. And," Rinoa added, taking a moment to look at his shirt awkwardly, though managing this time not to stare completely, "Since you haven't changed, I'm guessing I was right and you haven't found your room. Come on, I'll show you where it is again." Squall didn't object, and Rinoa went ahead of him and opened the door to the room just a bit down the hall from her own. She turned and looked at him, and saw he was refusing to meet her gaze. Her eyes drifted for a moment down to his shirt and she felt the heat rise to her face and knew she was probably very red from blushing.

"T..thanks," He said to her, and Rinoa was surprised. _It sounded like HE was stuttering, but... well... just forget it, Rinoa. _She told herself firmly. She could take as long as she wanted and become analytical of everything he did just because she secretly hoped that it would mean more than it probably did, but she knew that the second she started doing that, was when she'd officially start to really embarrass herself. Squall moved past her and went into his room. Rinoa's thoughts turned for a moment back to what the evil voice in her head had forced her to think about earlier about walking past his room if he had left the door open, but she forced it away.

"Hey Squall?" Rinoa asked him quietly, looking at the floor again. She had remembered something that he had started to say earlier and wanted to know what he was going to say before he got interrupted. She took a moment to look up and was surprised to see Squall had stepped out of his room a little and was standing a lot closer to her than she had thought he would. She cleared her throat nervously.

"Yeah?" Squall asked, watching her. She felt a bit nervous.

"Earlier... before Selphie called. You were saying something. About... thoughts? You never got a chance to finish what you were saying. Do you... remember?" Rinoa asked hopefully. It had really sounded like he was going to give her a bit of an insight into his way of thinking and maybe help her clue in a little more about why he was the way he is. She had thoroughly been disappointed when what he had been about to say was interrupted by the phone call from Selphie, even if she was happy to hear from her friend.

"_Selphie!" Rinoa exclaimed, when she heard her friend on the other end of the line. "How'd you get this number?" Rinoa asked, curious. She had never given the number to her old house to Selphie — she never had a reason to._

"_Oh, I looked it up, it wasn't too hard to find, there aren't really any other Caraway's there and besides, the Operator knew what house I meant when I said 'General Caraway,'. We heard about your dad Rinoa, is everything okay?" Selphie asked her from the other end of the line. Rinoa went to nod when she remembered she wasn't in front of her friend and that she wouldn't see her nodding._

"_Yeah, sort of. Well... not really, but it's really confusing." Rinoa added. _

"_So, I heard that Squall got taken out of school too to go out there with you, is he there right now?" Selphie asked her, a hint of... something in her voice. It sounded like she was insinuating something. Rinoa tried not to think about it too much._

"_Yeah, we're both here." Rinoa said, and she saw that Squall looked up when she said this. She covered the end of the phone with her hand and mouthed that it was Selphie on the phone. Squall looked away, clearly not caring much about whether or not she was talking to one of her friends, or even how Selphie had known to call there._

"_Ahh, but I guess you aren't alone, that's too bad. Your families must be there," Rinoa frowned — she could almost picture the gleeful expression on Selphie's face, and she knew that Squall would never talk to her again if Selphie got the wrong idea about them._

"_No, they went out for dinner, they won't be back until later." Rinoa told her. She heard Selphie squeal on the other end, and shook her head sadly._

"_Really? So you and... Squall... are there alone?" Selphie asked her, still sounding very excited. Rinoa sighed._

"_Yes." Rinoa said briefly. She turned and saw that Squall was throwing open the cupboards, obviously looking for the dishes. She opened her mouth to stop him, but changed her mind. Let him look, she decided._

"_Ahh, I bet he's doing something really romantic!" Selphie teased, and Rinoa felt her face heat up._

"_He is not!" She cried out, and she didn't dare mention that Squall was the one cooking. Selphie giggled on the other end._

"_Sure, sure, Rinoa. I think he likes you," Selphie added in a singsong voice. Rinoa blushed and looked down at the phone cord she was twisting in her fingers. Squall, like her? The day that Squall even considered her a friend, would be the day her stepmother would apologize for all the things she had done wrong to her. In other words, not very likely to happen any time soon._

"_Oh, whatever!" Rinoa said indignantly_. _Selphie laughed on the other end again._

"_I think living with him's been a bad influence on you, Rinoa, you're starting to sound like him!" Selphie added. Rinoa went to retort, but she saw Squall standing in front of her, looking very frustrated._

"_Uh, Selphie,_ _it was really nice talking to you, but we're going to eat so I should go. Thanks for calling, though, I'll try and call you back soon." Rinoa said into the phone, realizing Squall was probably tired of looking through cupboards when it was a lost cause._

"_Oh, you guys are eating together!? That's so—"_

"_Yeah, bye!" Rinoa said, cutting her off. _

"_Bye Rinoa!" Selphie said before Rinoa hung up the phone._

"Oh, that..." Squall said, interrupting Rinoa's train of thought. "I was just... going to say that thoughts are the one thing you can guarantee are private. Safe. If... you tell other people things, you never know if they might tell someone else. If you think it, you know it's just... between you and your mind. It can be peaceful, having that privacy. Even if people can..." Rinoa noticed him seeming to hesitate, and she waited for him to go on. "Invade in your privacy, you know they can never get your thoughts or use them against you, not... if they don't know what they are." Squall stopped talking and looked at the ground. Rinoa could see he was uncomfortable with sharing that much, but she was really glad that he had. _Does that mean that you're afraid you can't trust people to keep your feelings private? Or that... you're afraid they'll think badly of you because of what you might think? Squall... I hope someday you trust me enough to tell me what's on your mind. You go off in your own little world so often, that... well... I admit I want to know what's so special that you think about all the time that it would distract you that much. Keep you away from... people who want to be close to you._

"Um, Rinoa... your stepsister Katie. Do... did... you guys... were you close when you were little?" Rinoa stopped her train of thought and looked up at him. Why would he be asking about her stepsister? All at once, a million thoughts began to run through her mind. Maybe he didn't think she was that horrible after all. Or maybe he thought that Rinoa was like her. Maybe he wanted to know more about her stepsister, about... the way she had been when she was younger. As if he wanted to get to know her better. Rinoa turned around so he couldn't see the sad expression on her face. She bit her bottom lip, and closed her eyes tightly, taking a deep breath.

"No. Why are you asking me that?" She asked him. Though she had tried to keep the anger and surprise out of her voice, she didn't think she had done very well.

"Uh, no reason." Squall said. Rinoa was afraid he'd try to say something else, so she walked away the instant the words were out of his mouth. She heard the door close behind her, and she realized he had gone into his room. Probably, she added, without another thought about her.

The first place Rinoa thought of going was to her room. Though it held little comfort for her, being the one room where she really didn't have much say about the way it was decorated (other than the pictures she was permitted to keep and her books she was allowed to have), she needed to be somewhere familiar and some place she could call her own.

When she walked in, she saw a picture on her desk. Curious, she walked over to it. She narrowed her eyes as she saw it. It was a picture that had been taken of her and Katie when they... when they were younger. Normally this wouldn't have come as a surprise... except she wasn't the one who had this picture, Katie was. Which meant that for whatever reason, Katie had brought it into her room while Rinoa was gone. Had she been snooping through her stuff? If so, why bring this picture?

The reason what Squall had asked her had bothered her so much wasn't really because she was worried he might have some kind of interest in Katie. In fact, now that Rinoa thought back on it, she realized that was highly unlikely. Squall wasn't really interested in anyone. It had bothered her because she knew she and Katie had once been close when they were little.

Though she often didn't like to think back to it, Rinoa remembered when her stepmother first married her father and moved into the house. All through the time that her father had been dating her, her stepmother Gabriella had been kind to her. She had to, even if she didn't want to, because she knew Rinoa's father would never marry her if she treated his daughter badly. And even after they did get married, she tried to keep up the charade a little longer.

Yet Katie had always seemed to genuinely like her. Even Rinoa couldn't deny she had liked having a sister, when before she had always been an only child. The other kids in her class at school didn't really like her, because their parents didn't really like Rinoa's dad. And the other kids knew she didn't have a mom, and that thought seemed odd to them. A little girl, without her mommy? They couldn't picture it. Things like death, the ending of someone's life, wasn't something they knew anything about. They stayed away from her.

But not Katie. She seemed to understand how Rinoa felt, even though they were so little and didn't say it to one another. Her dad had walked out on her family, and left her alone with her mother. And because they both had this thing in common, the lack of an important parental figure in their life, even if they had their mother or dad, it hurt them. It brought them together.

In fact, it wasn't really until they got much older that Katie had started to change. Rinoa still blamed her stepmother for that — at first, when Gabriella had started treating Rinoa badly, and spoiling Katie without remorse, Katie had questioned why. She had even apologized to Rinoa for it, though she couldn't understand even then the reasons for this.

Katie, though she had no idea Rinoa knew that, had asked her mother why she was so mean to Rinoa. Over time, Gabriella brainwashed her daughter into staying away from Rinoa. That, plus the pressure from the other students at their school who still didn't like Rinoa, pushed her to be mean to her. It wasn't that everyone didn't like Rinoa — she had been popular at her school. And a lot of people felt threatened by that, Katie included. That was probably what shoved Katie over the edge into her cruelty to Rinoa.

_I wouldn't say I miss being friends with Katie. After all, even if some of her personality can be blamed on her dislike for me, and her new popularity she took from me, I still think she wouldn't be much different. We're too different from one another. We weren't meant to really be friends anymore, but... I still wish sometimes that we didn't have to be so mean to each other. That we could be more civil, instead of acting as if we were fighting for territory in the family. _Rinoa sighed as she saw Squall walk past her room.

"Squall?" She called, hoping he heard her. He did, and he came back and stood in the doorway of her room, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry if I... kind of overreacted when you asked about my sister. I just... was surprised to hear you ask about her, and she's not exactly my favourite topic of conversation." Squall nodded to show he understood, and Rinoa knew he probably didn't really know what to say. It didn't matter. He'd listened to her. That was enough for now. "Maybe..." Rinoa added, putting the picture back on her desk. She'd have to talk to Katie about it later, if she could manage to work up the courage to confront her about it. "I'll tell you about my childhood with Katie. Just... not now, okay?"

"I... shouldn't have prodded about it," Squall said, speaking for the first time since she had called him to her room. Rinoa smiled.

"You didn't prod and besides, it's not a crime to be curious, though it is highly unusual for you. Come on, I'll show you where the dining room is," Rinoa added, and she got up and walked over to him. She saw him flinch as she drew closer, and she frowned. There was still something on his mind, and she intended to find out what it was. _I hope Gabriella and Katie keep Nico and Laguna away from the house a bit longer... _Rinoa found herself thinking hopefully. _Squall's actually been kind of fun to hang around tonight. He's actually talking. Well, a little. It's... nice. _Rinoa smiled at that and grabbed Squall's hand daringly.

"Come on!" She added, when he was walking too slow for her liking. "I'm not going to wait around forever," She added. She dragged him down the stairs and when they got to the bottom of them, she reluctantly let go of his hand. Sure, she liked holding it, but she didn't want Squall to get the wrong idea. _Even if it's actually the right idea, _Rinoa added silently. She continued to lead the way to the dining room.

—

They were sitting in silence for the first few minutes, and Rinoa was the first to take a taste of her soup. Once she had tasted it, she smiled.

"You're a pretty good cook," She said to him, trying to give him a compliment and hoping he might talk. Besides, it was a good way to break the silence.

"...soup's not exactly that hard to make," Squall said, though Rinoa detected the tiniest hint of a smile on his face. Rinoa ate more of it before shrugging.

"I probably couldn't make it," She informed him. "Not without help, anyway." She added.

"Yeah well that's probably not saying much." Squall said to her, and Rinoa dropped her spoon, which clattered against the glass bowl.

"Hey!" She exclaimed. Then she started laughing. "You're right, it isn't saying much. Gee, you must be in an awfully good mood," Rinoa told him, leaning back in her chair and smiling at him. Squall seemed to notice this, and he dropped his spoon in his bowl too.

"What makes you say that?" He asked her curiously.

"Well, for starters, you're talking to me. Quite frequently too," She added, sounding quite happy about it. "And, you're making jokes. I didn't even know you could joke, or that you had a sense of humor. AND," Rinoa added for effect, "you offered to cook. I mean, you could have just went out of the house and got something to eat and left me to fend for myself, but you didn't." Squall sat there silently, and Rinoa could almost picture the mental battle going on in his mind as he tried to work out what she had said. She was sure he was probably questioning himself as to why he hadn't just gone out. After all, hadn't Nico told her once that Squall normally just left the house without saying where he was going? And hadn't she even seen how he wandered around Balamb, all alone, but perfectly content in that?

"...no, I didn't." Squall said after a few minutes silence. He looked really uncomfortable all of a sudden, and Rinoa felt bad for teasing him about it. She hadn't realized it would make him feel so uncomfortable, and maybe it was just her imagination, but it definitely didn't seem that well.

"Well, you probably just didn't want to go wandering around a town you don't know all that well. I mean, if you wanted to leave by yourself and you got lost, how would you get back?" Rinoa added, trying to make up an excuse for him so that he could stop brooding about it the way he probably was. _Though even that's flawless, _Rinoa thought to herself. _All he'd have to do is call a cab and ask the cab driver to take him to General Caraways Mansion, it's not as if there's really anyone who doesn't know where it is. He could retrace his steps. And... Deling kind of goes in a full circle. You go through the entire town and in the end you get back to the mansion. But... I better not say anything like that to Squall. _She looked up at him and saw he seemed grateful she had provided him with an excuse to get his mind off it.

"Yeah, probably..." Squall muttered. They sat in silence again for awhile, and when Rinoa saw she was almost done her soup she felt sad. Soon, they'd have no excuse to hang near each other — Squall would probably go into his room and stay there the rest of the night, and she'd be stuck either with her step family or just on her own in her own room.

Rinoa chanced taking a look at Squall, and saw that he seemed to be eating a lot more slowly too. She was afraid to hope that maybe it was because he was enjoying being around her as much as she was enjoying being around him, but she figured she'd take it one step at a time and see how things went.

Finally, Rinoa couldn't put off the end of the meal any longer. She drank up the rest of the liquid in the bowl, and sighed, sitting back. Squall finished too but didn't stand up like she had expected he would. Finally he stood up.

"Hey, Squall?" Rinoa said, getting up as well. He turned and looked at her.

"Yeah?" He asked quietly. Rinoa reached out and grabbed his bowl.

"I'll... take that back to the kitchen for you," She said, improvising at the last minute. Really when she had first said his name, she had just wanted an excuse to talk to him but didn't know what exactly to say. Squall looked at her for a moment.

"I— thanks," He said after a moment. They stood there silently, and finally Squall looked at the door. "I... think I can remember where my room is now." He told her. "I guess I'll probably just unpack."

"How long do you think we'll be here?" Rinoa asked him, not wanting him to leave just yet. Squall shrugged.

"I don't know. I'd say normally as long as it takes for your dad to get better, but all things considered..." he trailed off. He didn't want to say what Rinoa knew was on his mind — that her dad wasn't going to get better right away. Not for a long time.

"We'll probably leave this weekend sometime, then." Rinoa said. "I hope my dad gets out of the hospital and gets to talk to a lawyer before then..." It took her a few moments to realize she had said that out loud, instead of thinking it the way she had intended to. She quickly covered her mouth. She had said it quietly, but she was sure Squall had still heard it. And he soon confirmed that suspicion.

"Why do you want your dad to talk to a lawyer?" He asked her, stepping back into the dining room. Rinoa shook her head.

"I... wasn't... supposed to say that out loud," She admitted sheepishly.

"Oh... I'll go, then," Squall said, turning to leave. Rinoa took a few steps forward and reached out for him.

"W-wait!" Squall stopped in his tracks and she felt him tense up when she grabbed his shoulder. She quickly let go and he turned around.

"What?" He asked her.

"...do you really want to know why I want my dad to talk to a lawyer?" Rinoa asked him finally. Squall shrugged.

"...I guess I'm a little curious," He admitted reluctantly. Rinoa looked down at her hands sadly.

"He said he's a lot worse off than I think. I don't know what it is that they aren't telling me about his condition, but... whatever it is, he for sure knows. He made sure I knew that he didn't want me to come back here, but that... if he couldn't talk to a lawyer... I'd have to come back to Gabriella. She's my legal guardian, technically," Rinoa explained, seeing the look on Squall's face. "They never signed anything to make your parents — uh, your dad and Nico," Rinoa corrected herself, worried that Squall wouldn't like her making it sound like Nico was taking the place of his mother or anything. "My guardians, and if my dad were to... to die..." Rinoa closed her eyes tightly to force back any tears that might have threatened to spill over, "I'd have to come back here. And it wouldn't be temporary. Sure, my stepmother doesn't like me around, but she hates me being somewhere where I'm happy even more..." Rinoa sighed. "I'd be stuck here."

Squall seemed to be thinking about what she had said, because he didn't say anything for awhile, yet he didn't move to leave either.

"Your happy in Balamb?" He asked her, and Rinoa was a little embarrassed at the question. Sure, she was happy, he was there wasn't he? She sighed.

"Happier than I'll ever be here," She told him. "I have friends there, and even if you hate me being there, I feel a lot more welcome at your house than I ever have here." She moved past him, not wanting to talk about this anymore, when Squall's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"I don't hate you being at my house, Rinoa," He said softly. Rinoa didn't dare turn around and look at him, but she felt her heart pounding rapidly. "And... they are my parents. Even Nico, even if... she's not my mom." At that, Squall walked the opposite direction and went up the stairs to go, Rinoa assumed, figure out what he had just said.

She knew she was trying to.

**A/N:** Okay, since a lot of the first bit of the chapter was sort of like a back track to what already happened (Though admittably in Rinoa's POV!) I thought that I would make this chapter a bit longer and I have to admit, once I got started making it longer it was hard to stop, I almost didn't, but I know I should really start cleaning hehe (I have to clean every day at my house since my parents both work and I just kind of... lurk at home, unless I go out to see my friends or something.) Anyway, thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and here's the latest chapter. I don't know if my next update will be QUITE as quick, just because I might start working on some of my other stories a bit, but who knows, maybe I'll have another early update. We'll just have to wait and see.


	27. Brooding and Dreams Part 3

**A/N:** Okay, so I do have another early update — surprise surprise. Though, the story I had wanted to update before this one again, I did. WOOT! That's awesome. Now I don't feel as if I am neglecting it quite as much, hehe. But yes, anyways, thanks to everyone whose reviewed so far, you guys are awesome! And I'm glad you all seem to be liking the most recent chapters, I know a lot of you want something, ANYTHING, to happen between Rinoa and Squall and with these quicker updates hopefully it's not as painful to wait for that moment, hehe. Anyways, here's the next chapter, R&R!

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy VIII and all related characters belong to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Brooding and Dreams Part 3

_(Squall's POV)_

Squall walked up the stairs and went into his room. The moment the door was closed behind him, he walked over and fell onto the bed, burying his face in the pillows. What was going on with him? He had set out hoping to not talk to Rinoa much at all, to do anything he could not to talk to her. And now, here he was, returning from eating with her, and thinking about something he had let slip out before he had a chance to think about what he was saying.

It wasn't a lie — he didn't hate her being at his house. He thought he would when he first found out she would be staying there, and for awhile he had. But she wasn't really all that bad, and... he had just talked to her more than he had talked to anyone for the longest time. The scariest part — the WORST part — was that he hadn't really minded talking to her at all.

Squall turned over in the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He felt... different somehow. Like he really was changing, little by little. And he didn't want that, he wanted to stay the same. He was afraid of who he might become if he allowed himself to be close to other people.

Rinoa... at least she hadn't acted too nervous most of the time they were around each other, after the initial nervousness and awkward silence had worn off. Maybe it was because Squall hadn't just brushed her off like he normally would.

Over and over again, he replayed what she had said in his mind. She'd have to come back to Deling, have to... live here. But he wanted that, didn't he? Now, he wasn't so sure. Everything in his mind seemed to be screwed up and confusing, he couldn't even think straight. And suddenly he felt himself wishing he was in a place he was familiar with — taking a walk and getting as far away from Rinoa as possible was something he really wanted to do right now. He wasn't sure why, but ever since she had shown up, things had been happening to him, and he just wanted to go back to normal.

It wasn't as if he was drastically different. He was still the same, indifferent person — it wasn't his personality that was changing. It was the barriers he had put up to keep away from people, to protect himself from them. It felt as if they were falling, or Rinoa was just somehow penetrating them.

She had been right — when they had been downstairs, and she said he had been talking to her more than usual. He even... acted curious. Asked her questions. He didn't even talk to his dad or Nico that way, not usually. Ellone was the one person he sometimes talked to, and even then, it took awhile before he would say anything at all and he never told her more than he had to. He just didn't brush her off. Was he getting to the point with Rinoa that he'd actually talk to her?

What really bothered him wasn't so much that he had talked to Rinoa. Sure, that wasn't like him, but his thoughts were always something that had been his. Something he would do to find comfort. And even now, all his thoughts ever brought him was more confusion. Like the look Rinoa had given him when she had shoved him into the secret passage near her father's study — and now, what he knew it meant. That she liked him. How long had she liked him?

_I just want to fall asleep, _Squall decided. _At least then, maybe I can... get away from all this. Even my thoughts are bothering me lately. _

Squall rolled over so he was on his stomach on the bed again and closed his eyes. Maybe he'd get a little sleep...

—

_Squall looks up at the ceiling and sees the night sky, and watches as a shooting star flies through the sky. As his gaze falls, he sees a girl his age in a dress watching the same shooting star. As she turns to look at him and their eyes meet, Squall recognizes it as Rinoa. '...am I dreaming?' He thought to himself. As Rinoa comes over to him, he realizes he must be dreaming. _

"_You're the best looking guy here. Dance with me?" Rinoa replied, putting her hands on her hips. Squall stared back at her, confused. 'Are we... not supposed to know each other in this dream?' Squall wondered for a moment. Rinoa seemed to take his silence as a refusal to her question._

"_Let me guess..." Rinoa started. "You'll only dance with someone you like. Okay then..." Rinoa clapped her hands together, startling Squall. "Look into my eyes... you're-going-to-like-me, you're-going-to-like-me..." Rinoa pretended to be casting a spell on him and then leaned back and tilted her head. "Did it work?" She asked him. Squall couldn't help but laugh a little at her behaviour._

"_...I can't dance," He explained finally. Rinoa grabbed his hand and dragged him out onto the dance floor anyway._

"_You'll be fine. Come on. I'm looking for someone, I can't be on the dance floor alone!" Squall immediately felt as if he'd rather be anywhere than where he was at that moment. Rinoa pulled him to her and he smacked into her by accident. Before he gets a chance to murmur an apology she puts his arms in the right spot and starts trying to help him dance. At first, he stumbles all over the dance floor and even smacks into another couple — Rinoa makes him feel better about it by sticking her tongue out at them when they start to say something rude, and smiles at him. _

_Suddenly, they're both dancing really well, after the initial awkwardness has worn off, and towards the end of the song, Squall pulls Rinoa close to him for the dance, but she doesn't move away. Fireworks start going off outside, and he watches them — Rinoa, however, is watching him, until she suddenly looks past him and sees someone she is looking for. She winks at him and motions that she'll be back in a bit, and moves past him. Feeling strange, Squall turns around and watches her walk away. _

Squall sat up in his bed, throwing his eyes open. Even in his sleep, he couldn't seem to escape Rinoa. And just what was up with that dream? He didn't want to think about it — didn't want to think about any situation where he'd be dancing with Rinoa. It seemed whenever he dreamt anymore, it was always somehow about her.

"Hey Squall, are you awake?" Squall turned his head to look at the door, and recognized Rinoa's voice immediately. He got up and walked over to the door and opened it.

"...yeah," He said, leaning against the door frame.

"Oh! Well... my stepmother called and said that they were going to be late, and I thought you'd want to know." Rinoa said to him, wrapping her arms around herself as if she was cold. When Squall didn't say anything, Rinoa turned around awkwardly. "Uh, I guess I'll go then." She said, before starting to walk down the hall. Squall stepped out of his room and closed his bedroom door.

"Rinoa, wait." He saw her stop and freeze completely, before turning around to face him.

"Y-y— yeah?" She asked, watching him.

"... what you said earlier," Squall began, walking towards her. "About how I'd probably get lost if I went off on my own in Deling?" Squall added when Rinoa stared back at him clueless. "I— would you —" Squall froze. What was he doing? Rinoa seemed to be wondering the same thing as she stared back at him. "Never mind..." Squall muttered, turning around and going to head back to his room, but Rinoa must have followed him and grabbed his arm.

"What were you going to say, Squall?" She asked him. He turned to face her, and noticed she didn't let go of his arm when he did.

"I... it doesn't matter." He told her, wanting to get away. He didn't even know why he had said anything at all.

"Please tell me what you were going to say?" She asked him. "It must have mattered enough if you were going to say it." She added. Squall sighed and shook his head. There really was no point in arguing with her — he knew she'd probably get it out of him eventually anyway.

"I... you used to live here. You must know Deling pretty well," He added. "I was just..." He trailed off. _Why did I have to say anything at all? I should have just pretended to be sleeping when she called into my room, it's not like she'd ever find out differently. Not unless she came right into my room... _

"...wondering if I'd give you a tour?" Rinoa finished, sounding hopeful. Squall had no idea what was wrong with him — he had set out saying he'd avoid her, make sure they weren't alone. Now he kept making up excuses so that they could be.

"Yeah," He admitted after awhile. Rinoa smiled.

"Definitely! I'll give you the grand tour! Um, since you're asking me now, does that mean you want to go now?" Rinoa asked him. Squall shrugged.

"Were you... doing anything?" He asked her, and he was surprised when he felt relieved when she said she wasn't. "So... now would be okay, if it's okay with you." He added, and Rinoa nodded.

"It's definitely okay with me!" She replied excitedly. Though Squall knew why she was so excited, she had no idea he knew that, and immediately looked embarrassed. She started to correct herself, but Squall interrupted her.

"... just... do me a favour?" He asked her, and she nodded.

"Sure, what is it?" She asked him, grabbing his hand and pulling him down the stairs. He didn't tense up quite as badly as he had the last time he had felt her grab his hand.

"... unless Nico and my dad see us coming in, don't tell them we were..." Squall stopped. They were what? Hanging out? Walking together? "And," Squall said, moving on, "if they do see us come in, maybe... avoid mentioning I asked you?" Squall asked her. Rinoa turned around to face him unexpectedly, and he walked into her.

"...sorry," Rinoa apologized, and when Squall regained his composure, he saw how close they were standing and took a step back. "And I'll keep your secret," She added with a wink. She let go of his hand and walked over to the doorway, Squall following behind her.

"It's... not a secret," He said weakly.

"Then why don't you want me to tell anyone, hmm?" Rinoa asked him teasingly, putting on her shoes. Squall sat on the step next to her and grabbed his own shoes and shrugged.

"Because it would lead to awkward questions?" He offered, and she stopped tying her shoe and looked at him. Something about the look in her eyes was making him slightly concerned.

"...oh? What... kind of awkward questions?" Rinoa asked him innocently, and he glared at her.

"If you don't know, I'm not explaining it." He told her firmly, standing up now. Rinoa finished tying her shoe and stood up facing him.

"Hmm, your blushing. I bet they'd probably ask... if you liked me!" Rinoa said suddenly, startling Squall. He backed up to the door and opened it.

"...no, they... wouldn't." _Great. _Squall thought. _Now I'm the one who can't say anything without stuttering. Who cares what they'd ask? Or what Rinoa thinks they'd ask? _

"I bet they would! Your sister did," Rinoa added, before covering her mouth as if she had said it by accident. Squall narrowed his eyes.

"...she asked you if I liked you?" Squall asked her, sounding calm, but really a little upset that his sister had asked someone else instead of him. And embarrassed — Ellone knew him well. Did she actually think he might have liked Rinoa then? If that was the case, he wondered what she would think now... he felt relieved when Rinoa shook her head.

"No... she... well, she just joked and asked if I was some... mysterious girlfriend she didn't know about. But... she didn't ask me if you liked me..." Rinoa said, trailing off. Squall realized what Ellone had asked — if Rinoa liked him. _Did she like me then, too? _Squall found himself wondering.

"...it doesn't matter what happened with Ellone," Squall said, trying to end the subject. Rinoa looked awkward and afraid he might ask what Ellone had asked her. And what Rinoa might have said. "Let's just... go, okay?" Squall added.

"Squall?" Rinoa asked quietly, not following him. He turned around and looked at her.

"Yeah?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"...before, you said... you didn't hate me being at your house. Is... that true?" She asked him. He saw that it seemed to have been bugging her for awhile, and he nodded.

"I said it, didn't I?" He asked her, and Rinoa nodded.

"...yeah, you did. I just... why did you always act like it?"

"I never meant to, Rinoa. I guess... it just happened that way." Had he really acted as if he hated her being there? Well... in the beginning, it was true that he had avoided her at all costs. And made the odd comment about how he'd suddenly lost his appetite mysteriously after she talked to him. But had he really ever hated her being there? _I was... afraid. _Rinoa walked past him and stepped outside into the cool night air — autumn was coming. _Afraid... afraid of what? _Squall asked himself. He remembered when Ellone had been taken away when they were really little — before his dad had gone off to find her and bring her back. _...I felt the same way I felt when I found out that Ellone was my sister. Afraid of losing her, and... afraid of allowing her in. Huh. Does that mean I think of you like my sister? _Squall thought, stepping out and closing the door behind him. Rinoa turned around and smiled at him. Squall felt an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, and pulled his sweater up over him a little better.

_No... _Squall realized. _I definitely don't think of you like my sister. So... Rinoa... what made me afraid? I don't know... what's happening. I almost... like hanging around you. But I don't like hanging around anyone. _Squall sighed and followed behind Rinoa, who had started to lead the way and start her tour — it would probably be a long walk, he realized. _So what's so different about you? _

**A/N:** Well, there is yet another chapter, not quite as long as the last one, but hopefully satisfactory nonetheless — and I even got another update out for another of my stories! Woo, 2 updates in one day — maybe I'll do that for this story one day, hehe. Anyway, I have very mixed feelings about this chapter, I'm hoping I didn't rush at the end there, but... well, I guess I'll wait and see what you guys think. And, for the record, this does mean that Squall's starting to have a few realizations about himself, hehe. I'm not sure whose point of view the next chapter will be in, yet — Squall's, or Rinoa's. I guess I'll figure it out :) The next chapter will be the 'tour' of Deling, so look forward to that! R&R!


	28. Tour of Deling Part 1

**A/N:** Well, it seems I was just being paranoid over the last chapter, since everyone seemed to enjoy it pretty well. I would have had this chapter up earlier, but my mom sprung a bunch of stuff on me — going to her friends house, and then I was working on my new FFVIII website I'm making (had to make a layout) so... now I am working on this chapter. I'm sure you guys don't mind though, hehe. I can get online through the week briefly early in the mornings before school, and in my computer class I have first period (but since next week is flip week, meaning every other week they make us go to our afternoon classes in the morning, and vice versa, I'll have it last period. Why they do this, I'll never know...) I can go online usually 24/7 because I'm good in that class and finish early. All the time. Even with helping other people. Hehe. Anyway, point is if I do update during the week, it'll be either really early (for me) or not too late at night. R&R! Next chapter will be in Squall's POV.

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy VIII and all related characters belong to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Tour of Deling Part 1

_(Rinoa's POV)_

When Squall had asked her for the tour around Deling, Rinoa nearly passed out. Was he serious? Once she realized he was, she was more than just a little surprised. And happy, of course.

"Come on!" She said to him, when he just stood there in the doorway. She smiled when she realized he had been staring at her — whether it meant anything or not, she didn't know, but it was definitely a change. Squall seemed to come back from whatever he was thinking and nodded.

"Yeah, coming... is that all you're wearing?" He asked her suddenly. Rinoa looked down at her shirt. _What's wrong with it? _She thought worriedly. Squall seemed to notice the way she was looking at it and was quick to explain. "I... didn't mean it that way. It gets cold here, at night, doesn't it? It's already pretty cool out... I meant... maybe you should bring a heavier sweater, or... jacket." Squall told her weakly — he seemed to regret saying anything at all, and Rinoa was sure it was because it didn't sound like him. Of course, he normally just wouldn't talk at all. The way the night had been progressing, she almost wished her stepmother and stepsister kept Nico and Laguna out all night.

"Oh! You're right, I never thought of that. Thanks for looking out for me," She added teasingly. Squall rolled his eyes.

"I just didn't want you asking for my sweater," He told her, and Rinoa turned back to him.

"What makes you think I'd want to wear your smelly sweater?" She asked him, sticking her tongue out. She saw Squall try to hide his face and she walked over, standing close to him. "Why are you hiding your face?" She asked him curiously, leaning over to try and see it. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gently pushed her away.

"I... didn't want..." She saw he was smirking and she took a step back.

"Were you... trying not to laugh!?" She asked him incredulously. Squall shrugged.

"I'm just as capable of it as the next person," He informed her. Rinoa crossed her arms and stared at a moment before shaking her head.

"Just when I think I've got you figured out, you go and do something like that to throw me off." She turned around and walked into the house to grab her jacket. When she came back out, Squall was staring at her.

"...just when you think you've got me figured out?" He asked her. Rinoa nodded.

"You're not exactly the hardest to figure out, you know. At least, some things. Why you distance yourself from people — there could be a thousand different possible reasons, and only one that it actually would be. But I know they way you are, and," She added, smiling again, "How to get you to talk!" Squall rolled his eyes.

"...whatever," He said to her. "I'm more complex than you think," He added. Rinoa had started walking to begin the tour, but stopped abruptly and looked at him.

"Oh really?" She asked him. "Care to enlighten me?" Squall caught up to her and when she didn't start walking, he gave her a gentle push, and Rinoa smiled at him and continued to walk.

"Not really," He answered. Rinoa stuck her tongue out at him.

"Fine then, be a meanie!" She told him. _More complex than I think, huh? If that's true, I wish you would tell me, Squall. I... want to know you better. I thought I did. But... maybe I really don't. _

"... it's nothing special," Rinoa looked up at him and saw he was looking at her as if he thought she was ignoring him, or trying to. _If it's about you, it... it is. _Rinoa sighed.

"It's okay Squall, I get that you don't like confiding anything in people and I'm not about to force you to. I just thought... well, it doesn't matter. Come on, let's start this tour!" She added more excitedly. Squall was watching her, she could feel his penetrating gaze on her as if he was trying to figure something out.

They walked in relative silence for awhile, other than Rinoa pointing out some people and identifying them, or saying what building this or that was. Finally, she stopped and turned to Squall.

"...are you going to be quiet the whole time?" She asked him tiredly. Squall looked up at her surprised.

"I'm... sorry. I guess I just got a little caught up in..." He trailed off. He didn't have to finish his sentence — he had got a little caught up in his thoughts. Like he normally seemed to. Had he even listened to anything she had said?

"Rinoa..." Rinoa turned to face him more directly.

"Yes?"

"...remember when I asked you about your stepsister Katie, and whether or not you two had been friends when you were younger?" Squall asked her. Rinoa frowned and crossed her arms. How could she forget? Squall took her change of expression as a yes. "I... when I was looking for my room earlier, I opened the door to yours, and... I was just going to leave like I had with every other room, but I saw these pictures of your mom, so I went to look at them because I had never seen any pictures of her before, and that was when..."

"You noticed the picture of Katie and I on my dresser?" Rinoa supplied for him. Squall nodded.

"...yeah. I'm really... sorry, about going in your room. I didn't look through anything, I just looked at the pictures, but..." He had intended to go on apologizing, Rinoa was sure, but all at once Rinoa was moving towards him and throwing her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his chest. At first, she felt him stiffen at this sudden unexpected interaction, but slowly he seemed to relax and brought his own arms around her. Surprised that he had reciprocated her hug, Rinoa didn't break away instantly like she had intended to, but instead pulled as close as she could, taking in the moment. She was more than happy that Squall hadn't pushed her away like she had expected.

"...is... everything... okay?" Squall asked after a few moments when Rinoa hadn't pulled away from him.

"Yeah, I just... I'm kind of relieved that's all it was, you asking about Katie. And... you've..." She trailed off. She wanted to say he had been really nice to her, had made her really happy and even took her mind of her father as much as was humanly possible — though she knew deep down she was probably still a little in denial of what was happening with him.

"What, did you think I had developed a crush on her or something?" Squall asked, his voice showing he was sounding very amused at the thought. Rinoa reluctantly pushed away from him.

"Uh — no, but... well, I was confused." They stood there awkwardly for a moment, neither wanting to look at each other suddenly. In their embrace, both — or at least, Rinoa hoped Squall was too — had felt comforted, had enjoyed the warmth that had come from it, both emotionally and physically, and felt no restraints or any need of obligation. A simple, enjoyable hug. As if they had been lost in it. Now, looking at each other, they were faced with questions such as why. Why didn't Squall push Rinoa away? Why did she really hug him? Why had they stayed in that embrace for as long as they had? Why had there been that... special feeling... Rinoa had gotten, not the same as when she was near Squall whom she knew she liked, but somehow different, and more exciting? And... had Squall felt anything?

"Anyway, now you can't say I don't confide in you." Squall said, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over them. "By all means, it's not expected from me to admit to walking into someone's room, though it was..." Squall stopped and sighed. Rinoa shivered from the cool air that was starting to get even more cold, and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I guess you're right. You know... I wish you were like this more often." Rinoa said suddenly, starting to walk again. Squall had stopped and stared blankly at her, but she reached back and grabbed his hand to drag him on. Once she was sure he was continuing to follow her, she let his hand go.

"More like what?" Squall asked her softly, glancing over at her. Rinoa felt her face start to heat up from his thorough look at her, but she tried to ignore it. Even if she looked as if she was embarrassed, she didn't have to act it.

"Like... talking. Being friendly. I get that you like to be alone, so do I sometimes. But... you're still a teenager. You're _seventeen!_" Rinoa added emphatically. "When have you ever acted it? When have you ever just gotten away from those sacred thoughts of yours and just had fun, or done anything with someone else? You're probably the only seventeen-year-old I know whose never had a crush on someone, whose never dated, whose never really been friends with anyone for likely most of highschool and probably even earlier." They continued walking, finally reaching the more busy section of Deling.

"Who said I never had a crush on someone?" Squall asked defensively. Rinoa raised her eyebrow doubtfully and crossed her arms.

"...have you?" She asked him. He opened his mouth as if to say something defiant in retaliation, but quickly shut it again.

"I... no, I haven't."

"And have you ever had any real friends for the past... at least seven or more years of your life?" Rinoa continued with her interrogation. Squall put a hand on his hip and looked away, and Rinoa knew immediately he was avoiding answering because he knew that she was right.

"Maybe I just don't want friends." Squall said after awhile. Rinoa stared back at him sadly.

"Or maybe you're just afraid of losing them," Rinoa told him gently. It was a possibility, right? Sometimes, he'd barely talk at all, making it seem as if he was just completely indifferent. Other times, he seemed to let down his barriers so much, he seemed... very vulnerable. It was cute, it was terrifying, it was... well, Rinoa wasn't entirely sure what else she thought of it.

Squall remained silent. Was he thinking over what she had said? Was she right, was he really afraid of losing friends? Or was he angry she could think such a thing that was so very clearly wrong.

"That's the Deling Hotel," Rinoa replied, deciding to break the silence and try to give him a proper tour. "Don't try to go upstairs without asking at the front desk first — even if you're visiting a friend." Rinoa saw him give her a strange look at that, and she put her head in her hands. _Oh, right. This is the guy who doesn't want or need friends. _"Um..." Rinoa blinked a few times, trying to remember what she had been saying. "Oh, yeah! So anyway, there's a bar down the stairs in there — you have to be of age if you want any alcoholic beverages, but you can go there and just hang out, or listen to people go up on stage and sing, or..." _Or play piano. _Rinoa sighed at the memory of her mother, waving to a much younger Rinoa who was sitting quietly at a table and grinning.

"Or what?" Squall asked, when she didn't continue. Well, at least she'd got him remotely interested.

"Or play the piano," She finished shortly. Squall gave her a curious look; he had clearly heard the strange, hidden meaning in her tone. Well, let him brood on that, she decided. She went to keep walking, but Squall had stopped again. She sighed and turned to face him. "If you wanted to just hang out, you could have said that instead of asking for a tour." She informed him. He gave her a surprised look.

"What are you talking about?" He asked her.

"You keep stopping, as if... trying to make this last longer before we have to go back. Are... are you?" Rinoa asked him finally. Squall looked at the ground — probably arguing with himself and trying to figure out just what he was doing. And if that truly was the case, that had Rinoa just a bit worried, that he was unsure himself.

"I... don't really know," He replied truthfully. "I do want to see the city, I guess I just..." He trailed off. Rinoa stared at him, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, she decided not to ask him to.

"Well, anyway, this is sort of like a strip plaza — all the shops, all the bars and restaurants, are just sort of here. Of course, there's the outskirts of Deling where most houses are — there's the parks, there's public gardens, which are really gorgeous." She sighed and kept walking, She let out her breath and saw it was actually almost cold enough to see it — she hated nights in Deling. You'd think with it being a busy city, and not particularly close to Trabia, it would be warmer. And during the day, it was really hot. But at night time, with fall coming, it was freezing. She suddenly felt very grateful that Squall had reminded her to grab a coat. Though it did little for her face and hands, it was still a big help.

"Parks?" Squall asked suddenly, and Rinoa saw he seemed to like the sound of that. She smiled.

"Tons. Want to go to one?" She asked him carefully. He seemed to be thinking it over — going to a park, a place he clearly liked, would take them away from the tour. In a way, at least. They'd probably talk even more there, than they were while walking. With them walking, Rinoa had done most of the talking because she was supposed to be telling him about the places in Deling and showing them to him. If he wanted, he could just nod to show he heard what she had said. If they went to the park, they'd have to talk more to each other. Unless he wanted to flat out ignore her. _Not that we aren't talking plenty now... _Rinoa added as an afterthought.

"...kind of, yeah," Squall answered.

"So, do you like parks?" Rinoa asked him, suddenly turning off the road they had been walking next to and heading in the other direction. Squall nodded.

"I don't... know why," He told her, as she had just opened her mouth to ask. "I just... do. Are there a lot of them here?" He asked her, turning to gaze at her. She felt him observing her and tried not to blush. Squall staring at anyone that intently would make them feel awkward, but keeping her feelings in mind... it didn't help matters any.

"A fair few. There's this one older park nobody really goes to — it's my favourite. I love the swing set they have there, and it was the only park they had here when I was little. Back when my mom..." Rinoa stopped. Did she really want to get into this right now? Squall spared her by changing the subject.

"What time is it?" Okay, so it wasn't the greatest topic to change to. Didn't exactly scream exciting, but good enough for her. Rinoa looked at the watch on her wrist.

"A little after eight," She said distractedly. It seemed pretty early, yet it was already so dark out. Squall didn't say anything else after that, and the awkward silence fell over them again. Maybe, if Rinoa knew a little more about the kind of thing he liked to talk about, it would be easier to have a conversation with him, instead of just randomly lucking out and picking something he'd actually reply to.

They reached the park a few minutes later, and Rinoa headed immediately over to the swings. Not only was it a chance to sit down, it was a chance to stop walking into the fierce wind that was picking up as the night grew, and to actually try to warm the parts of her body that weren't covered with warm clothing. Next time, she told herself, she'd bring gloves. And a scarf. And a hat. ...maybe being in Balamb had gotten her very unused to the temperature in Deling at night. In Balamb, it always seemed warm, day and night. Deling was drastically hot in the morning and afternoon, and ice cold at night. At one point, she could have handled it with a light sweater, maybe even a t-shirt. Now she just felt like a wimp.

Squall sat on one of the swings, and Rinoa sat on the swing right beside him. Neither swung on the swings as they would have when they were little, but instead just pushed at the ground gently, keeping themselves moving slowly. Rinoa twisted her swing around and faced Squall, who noticed this and turned his head to face her.

"...yeah?" He asked her, when he saw her continue to watch him. She shook her head.

"I wasn't going to say anything," She told him. Squall looked down at the ground and said nothing else. _I wish I knew what you were thinking, Squall. Maybe then I'd understand you a little better. Maybe then I'd know if... if you'd ever feel the same way about me._

**A/N:** I intend on doing the second part of this chapter in Squall's POV — I thought it would be interesting to see the tour (though it turned into more of a walk and hang out kind of thing) from Squall's POV without really rewriting too many of the earlier scenes. So, look for that next chapter soon. Maybe even tonight, though it saddens me to say I've lost the ability to stay up late, what with school making me go to bed early (meaning I go to bed like 9, 10 at night 'cause I wake up really early and NEEED sleep, and now, on Friday night, it's a little after 10 and I'm about to fall asleep – AHH!) Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I was going to get this up sooner, but what with all the excitement of being able to go to the library to sign out books (I know, I'm such a nerd hehe) I was reading most of the time. Anyway, R&R.


	29. Tour of Deling Part 2

**A/N:** Hmm, very interesting reviews for the last chapter, which gave me a lot to think about writing-wise. I'm going to try to mix things up a bit in this chapter or at least that's the plan, so if it's not this chapter it'll be coming up (so keep an eye out for it!). Anyway, as always, it's great to hear your comments and feedback no matter what it is, and I almost always reply to your review regardless of whatever you might say. So, R&R.

**Disclaimer:** Final Fantasy VIII and all related characters belong to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Tour of Deling Part 2

_(Squall's POV)_

Rinoa had stopped staring at him, and was instead actually trying to swing as high as she could on the swing she was sitting on. Squall just stayed close to the ground, pushing himself every now and then, his thoughts once again turned to what they had gone to when Rinoa mentioned the parks in Deling. He remembered her asking him why he liked parks — he hadn't wanted to tell her, to reveal that much. Maybe it wouldn't be considered revealing much at all, but he knew he just wouldn't feel comfortable with it. The mentioning of friends he once had, it... just seemed strange and hard to talk about.

Okay, so he hadn't exactly had a ton of friends. Basically, the only one he even remembered was Seifer. That was because Seifer was the only one who had remained in Balamb after a few years, whereas the rest all moved away. Seifer now was very different, and hanging out with all the wrong people.

In fact, it had probably been after he and Seifer grew apart that Squall swore off getting close to people. Not necessarily because he had been hurt, just... scared.

Rinoa wanted friendship from him, that much was obvious. She wanted _more _than that, but he wasn't even sure if he was ready for something like a friendship again. Yet here he was hanging out with her — he wouldn't even really call it a tour, not the way he had intended. Sometimes, he really hated how confusing his life could be.

"Do you know how long we'll be staying here?" Squall asked quietly, breaking himself away from his thoughts. Rinoa dropped her feet to the ground to stop herself from swinging, and looked at him.

"...at the park, or Deling?" She asked him smiling. Squall gave her his you-know-what-I-mean look, and she sighed. "I guess it'll depend on what happens to my dad. They... they'll probably take you home soon, and leave me here." Squall thought he heard the hint of sadness in her voice, but he ignored it. Though admittably he might... not exactly hate talking to her, and sometimes do things he didn't understand or have a reason for, it still wasn't his responsibility to ask what was wrong or cheer her up. In all honesty, he didn't know what he could say to cheer her up anyway.

"What makes you say that?" Squall asked her, gripping the chains of the swing he was on.

"Well, who knows how long my dad will be in the hospital? You can't miss school forever, and... it's more understandable if I do. Especially if I end up having to move back here." Rinoa continued. Squall tried to picture the way her father had looked in the hospital, and grimaced. He didn't think her father would be getting out too soon. He looked over at her and saw she was blowing on her hands as if they were cold. For a moment, he had the wild crazy thought of holding them to heat them up, but shook the thought away the instant it came to his mind.

"Hey Squall?" Squall turned and looked at Rinoa, who was staring at her feet again.

"...what?" He asked her. She started going higher on her swing.

"When we... get back to Balamb... are you going to stop talking to me again?" Rinoa asked him, looking over to him. Squall didn't say anything at first. _I mean, how should I know? I... might talk to her, I guess. We live together, right? It would be kind of hard to ignore her completely. But... I guess she might not be living there much longer after all. Maybe. _

"I don't know," Squall replied truthfully. Rinoa stopped swinging and got up off of her swing. Squall stared at her confused, but she said nothing. Instead, she began to walk away. Squall stood up and quickly caught up to her. "Rinoa?" He waited for her to say something. She turned to him, not meeting his gaze.

"...it's nothing you said," She explained quickly. "I guess I'm just a little worried about my dad. I... know this wasn't really the greatest tour so far, so... why don't we keep moving?" She asked him, and Squall nodded without a word. So, she was worried that he wouldn't talk to her anymore once they left Deling. Was he really that interesting to talk to? _No, _Squall thought, remembering the real reason she must want to talk to him. _It's just because of... a crush. God, why is it all my thoughts seem to somehow involve Rinoa? I want my old thoughts back. _Squall sighed. He really was confusing himself.

As they started to walk back down the road they had came, it didn't take long until they were already back near the hotel. Rinoa was about to walk the other way, Squall could tell, but he saw she did seem cold — he could at least do something indirectly about it, he decided.

"...why don't we go into the hotel bar for a bit? You said they played piano there, and..." Squall trailed off. He didn't want to add anything to that about how much warmer it would be in there, but Rinoa seemed to realize what he meant anyway and smiled gratefully.

"Sounds great," She told him, and she lead the way into the hotel. Squall stopped at the entrance to take a look around — the lobby of the hotel looked pretty fancy, but it didn't seem too crowded. Rinoa walked over to the right of where she had been standing and started to head down a set of stairs, so Squall tore his eyes from his surroundings and followed her down.

Once down there, Squall realized this must have been the bar Rinoa had mentioned in the earlier part of her tour. There were some soldiers sitting at one of the tables, a bunch of girls at another, and an elderly couple who had probably come just to hear the music. Rinoa led Squall to a table away from all of these people, and he felt his stomach drop and felt suddenly very uncomfortable. Why had he suggested they go to any place where other people would... see them together? Now he felt like an idiot. If he wanted her to warm up that bad, he could have just told her she could do the tour another time and head back to the Caraway Mansion.

A young woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties came walking down the stairs. Squall normally wouldn't have noticed anything like that, but everyone else had turned their gaze to her and began to clap quietly at her arrival. Rinoa seemed to be the only one who wasn't watching the young woman descend the stairs.

"Is... are you... alright?" Squall blurted out, and suddenly he froze. What was he doing!? He hadn't meant to say that, hadn't meant to bring it up at all. And now, Rinoa was looking at him, just as surprised as he felt. He shrugged awkwardly, and she looked down at the table.

"My... mom used to play here a lot. And that girl," Rinoa nodded towards the young woman who had come down the stairs, and was now sitting at the piano getting her music set up. "She always plays songs that my mom wrote. Everyone does, but... well, this one in particular seems to really like them. She writes her own, but... she always plays a few of my moms anyway." Rinoa smiled, but somehow it seemed as if it was very forced. Squall wondered for a moment whether or not he should ask, but finally decided against it. He had already asked too much.

"...I guess that would be difficult," Squall said finally. Rinoa nodded, but a hush fell over the entire bar as the young woman began to play. Squall decided to take advantage of this sudden silence that had begun to return to his thoughts. And, he hoped, not to think at all about Rinoa. Yet as hard as he tried to find something he felt he needed to think about, just to make himself feel better or anything, he couldn't. All his thoughts turned in some way back to Rinoa. How she liked him. How Squall... was a little confused about whether or not he had any kind of feelings for her, friend-wise or something more. Only a little confused. How even Ellone had... he shook his head.

He needed to talk to Ellone. She was, really, the only person he felt he could talk to when he lost control of his thoughts. Maybe it was because they had known each other for so long, or because he had always considered her his big sister... he didn't know. But he did know he didn't want to share his thoughts with Rinoa, especially not the ones concerning her in any way.

"...I'll be right back," Squall told Rinoa suddenly, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"Oh, o... okay." She said, looking confused. Obviously, she was wondering where he was going. But he couldn't tell her he wanted to use the phone, because... well, quite frankly, she'd wonder who he'd be calling. She had already tried to establish he didn't really have friends. And who would he call, his dad? Not likely.

Squall remembered seeing a payphone outside by the hotel, so he walked up the stairs and out of the hotel completely. Nobody was at the payphone he had wanted to use — which was good, because that meant he wouldn't have to wait longer than necessary. He picked up the receiver of the phone and dialed the number for Ellone. It rang a few times; she picked up.

"Hello?" He heard her on the other end. He sighed.

"It's me, Ellone." Squall said quietly. She obviously recognized his voice.

"Squally!" Squall cringed; he hated that nickname. Or any nickname, for that matter. "And what do I owe the pleasure of this call? Got a girlfriend yet?" She asked him teasingly. Squall frowned. She always asked him that — it was like her own little joke she had when he called her. Yet somehow, he couldn't help thinking about what Rinoa had said. Ellone had talked about him, _with _Rinoa. He wasn't sure he was all that comfortable with that. But, it wasn't as if there was anything he could do about it now.

"...no," He replied after awhile. "I guess I just... felt like talking," He put his head in his hands — he normally never felt like talking. Ellone was going to pick up on this right away. But... pick up on what exactly? And why had he even called Ellone? He had a feeling he already knew exactly what she would say, and he wasn't so sure he wanted to hear it. In fact, he knew he didn't. So why had he bothered?

"Something bothering you, Squall?" He heard Ellone's voice full of concern and sighed. He didn't even know what was wrong, or if something was bothering him, or... what was going on. If anything at all.

"I... don't... know," He replied truthfully, finding each word very difficult suddenly to say. All he had known when he had left Rinoa in the hotel was that he found himself needing to talk to Ellone, to his sister. And now he didn't even know what he had wanted to say.

"Was there anything you wanted to talk about? Where are you, anyway? It definitely wasn't your cell or home number that came up on my Caller ID."

"Uh, we're in Deling." Squall looked around and saw the street was getting more empty, the sky darker. Great. That probably meant that Nico and his dad would be back soon, and wonder where he was. And notice that, oddly enough, Rinoa was gone too... had they even left a note? Squall couldn't remember.

"We?" Ellone's voice sounded amused and Squall immediately glared, though he knew she couldn't see it anyway.

"...dad and Nico." Squall said briefly, trying to avoid mentioning Rinoa.

"...what about Rinoa?" Ellone asked, sounding more and more amused by the second. So, avoiding mentioning Rinoa hadn't seemed to matter much.

"She's kind of the reason we're here." Squall admitted finally. "Her... dad's in the hospital." He added, and then he immediately regretted it.

"...and you came with them to... support her?" Ellone suggested, sounding completely ecstatic.

"_NO_." Squall told her firmly. "This wasn't my choice — I had no option. I did what I was told." _Typical, always following orders and instructions. _

"Oh." She sounded disappointed. Well, this was one situation where Squall really didn't care. She seemed to like the thought of Rinoa and... Squall shook his head. He wasn't about to allow his train of thought to go in _that _direction again. "So... how is Rinoa? You know, with her dad being in the hospital and all." Oh no. He knew exactly where she was trying to take this. Or... maybe he was being over analytical.

"As good as can be expected, I guess." Squall told her, turning around and leaning against the booth.

"So, are you staying at her house in Deling?" Ellone asked casually.

"...yeah,"

"Squall, I know you're not much of a people person. Or a talkative person, period. But... I think Rinoa could really use someone to talk to. And you don't have to say anything at all, sometimes... people just want to talk to someone and get it off their chest." Ellone added. _...then why don't they just go talk to a wall? _Squall thought agitated.

"...she has family," Squall said after a few moments silence. It wasn't a lie, exactly, though he was sure that the last people Rinoa would go to for support would be her family.

"Yes, but family... sometimes, people need a friend, Squall. Don't you remember what it was like when you needed your friends?" She asked him. Squall stared down at his feet. Another person bringing up the whole friendship thing. He just didn't get it — why couldn't people rely on themselves? Sure, talking might be okay sometimes, but it's not as if those friends could actually make the situation any better. If anything, it would just be nothing but a pity party. Or, at least that's what he thought.

"... I don't remember much of anything from when I was little." He told her after awhile of being silent. He heard her sigh on the other end, and he switched the phone over to his other ear.

"Maybe it's time you talked to Seifer again, Squall." The hidden meaning in her words rang out loud and clear to Squall, but he ignored it. There was no way he was going to try to talk to Seifer again. The guy had grown up to be a total creep — though Squall hadn't grown up to be the greatest person either, at least people didn't really have anything bad to say about him. He hadn't really done anything to cause that — all they could say was that he was antisocial.

"I have to go, Ellone." Squall said firmly.

"Don't be mad at me, please?" Ellone asked, and Squall heard the sound of someone talking in the background. Ellone said something inaudible back before he heard her sighing on the phone again.

"I'm... not mad at you, Elle." Squall reverted back to what his dad had called her and what Squall had called her when he was little, to show her that he really wasn't mad at her. She sounded relieved.

"Good-bye, Squall."

"Bye, Ellone." Squall hung the phone back up on the receiver and leaned against the side of the phone booth. That call hadn't really helped him with anything, and he hadn't even brought up what Ellone had told Rinoa. He didn't really bring up anything he had intended to. All it took was Ellone to start teasing him about Rinoa, and everything else he had intended to say faded away.

Strange, how teasing Squall about Rinoa, had gotten such a reaction. What was happening to him? He wasn't used to this... strange back and forth thoughts and feelings. One minute, he wanted to avoid Rinoa like she was the plague and the next he was asking her to take him on a tour of Deling. When he was so determined to do one thing and kept doing another, how could he really tell what it was that he actually wanted to do? _This isn't worth thinking about... _Squall thought finally.

"Squall?" Squall jumped at the sound of his name and realized Rinoa had come outside to see what he was doing. He opened his mouth to explain he had only wanted to call Ellone, but the expression on her face told him she already had her own idea as to what she thought was going on and didn't intend to let him convince her otherwise. "If you didn't want to hang out anymore, you could have just said so." Rinoa told him, before turning around and starting to run down the sidewalk back to the mansion.

Now what? Should he run after her and try to explain, or just walk back? He tried to think for a moment, and realized he didn't remember where the mansion was. He could ask, but... he'd save that as his last resort. It might seem as if he was being the stereotypical guy afraid of asking directions, but with him, it was more of a disinterest in talking directly to anyone.

_Damn it, Rinoa... _Squall sighed and stepped out of the phone booth and started walking in the direction Rinoa had been headed. At least he could get in the general direction of the mansion and maybe find it. Or have a better chance at finding it.

After several minutes had passed, Squall stopped walking and put his hands on his hips, looking down at the ground, frustrated and annoyed with himself. _...I'm pretty sure I walked by that park bench already. And that's the same lamp post that wasn't working the first time I walked by it. Ugh, Rinoa, why didn't you just ask what I was doing with a phone? I could have called a cab, but... no address. And even if they would have known what I meant if I said the Caraway Mansion, I can't even find a cab, and there hasn't been a phone book in any of the phone booths I've passed yet so I could call one. _

"Well, well, well. Squall Leonhart. What might you be doing in the lovely city of Deling?" Squall turned around to see who was talking to him, and when he saw the blue-haired teen, he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"...that's really not your business." Squall said finally, before turning around and starting to walk down the street again. Devin came up to him and put his hand on Squall's shoulder. Squall quickly moved away from Devin, who put his hands in the air as if to say he was surrendering.

"Are we lost?" Devin asked, and Squall crossed his arms.

"No."

"Really? Because I was sitting in that charming little restaurant with my parents and I'm quite sure I've seen you walk by here at least five times." _Damn. _Squall thought.

"... fine, I'm lost." _Now get lost. _Squall added in his head.

"Where are you headed?" Devin asked, clearly not getting the hint that Squall didn't want to be anywhere near him. Or, if he did, he didn't care.

"...Caraway Mansion."

"I know where that is, let me walk you there." _Damn right you know where it is, you — get a grip, Squall, who cares, it's just some creep. _**Some creep Rinoa's dating. **The evil voice in his head intervened. _She's not dating him anymore! _Squall argued back, not even knowing why he was arguing with himself. **Maybe she doesn't want to be, but she hasn't technically broke it off.** _Whatever. _

"...whatever." Devin laughed at this, and Squall sighed. He had a feeling the walk to the mansion was going to be very, very long.

**A/N:** So, I had to throw in something there to just sort of mix things up a bit with the whole Rinoa and Squall thing — I mean she might like him but that doesn't mean she's not going to get those typical jealousy feelings or feel a little paranoid or self-conscious, and she's still capable of getting mad at him. I am very uneasy about this chapter, I have no idea what you'll think of it readers but hopefully it wasn't a complete mess. That would suck. Anyway, sorry for the wait for this update, I've been trying to teach myself Physics the past few weeks — (now I'm dropping out of the course because it's ridiculous and my teachers, well... yeah.) Anyway, R&R, let me know what you think, no matter what it is you do think about this chapter or the story in general.


	30. Home Alone

**A/N:**Okay, my original plan for this was to have it strictly Rinoa's POV and quickly do another chapter in Squall's POV. Instead, I'm going to have it in both of their POV's in this chapter, which I haven't done for awhile and probably won't do again for awhile but for this chapter I'm going to. Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed, this story has gone past the 300 review mark which is of course exciting. I think that's the most amount of reviews I have for ANY story, but I'm not 100 sure on that. Anyway, R&R!

**Disclaimer:** As usual, I find myself forced to tell you that Final Fantasy VIII does not and never will belong to me. All characters and anything else to do with the Final Fantasy game series belong to SquareEnix.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty: Home Alone

_(Rinoa's POV)_

"_I saw you smiling at me, was it real, or just my fantasy? You'd always be there in the corner, of this tiny little bar... my last night here for you, same old songs, just once more... my last night here with you, maybe yes, maybe no..._"

Rinoa frowned as she heard the woman at the piano playing one of her mothers most well-known songs. The more she played, the more Rinoa found herself thinking of her mother and missing her intensely. All it really did was make her think over how she was stuck with Gabriella for her stepmother and it depressed her.

_Where is Squall, anyway? _Rinoa found herself thinking suddenly. He had gotten up shortly after they got to the bar, and she thought it might have just been because he had felt a little self-conscious at being in such a public place with her, but he had been gone awhile. She smiled briefly at someone who had recognized her as being the General's daughter, and she got up and walked back to the main lobby.

The man at the desk looked up at her hopefully, then seeing who she was, looked back down to his paperwork. Rinoa walked up to him and when he didn't pay her any attention, gently tapped the little bell on the desk. The man looked up at her.

"What do you want?" The man asked her, not looking up from his paper.

"Uh, hi, have you by any chance seen a guy go by here recently? Dressed mostly in black, uh, scar across his face?" Rinoa suddenly felt ridiculous. This guy had barely even noticed her, and she expected him to see Squall? Still, it couldn't hurt for her to ask and that was exactly what she was doing.

"Walked out." The man said briefly, and Rinoa stared back at him confused. Had Squall just walked off without her? She sighed and slowly went to walk out the door. She saw Squall and went to wave to him, but stopped. He was talking on the phone to someone, and that didn't make sense at all. _I thought he didn't have friends? So who would he be calling at this time, and why so suddenly did he have to? _Rinoa didn't want to eavesdrop, but she had to know, and she knew Squall would never tell her. Not on his own, at least.

"—lone." Rinoa frowned — lone? Lone what? She must have been getting there just in time to be at the end of his conversation with whoever was on the other end of the phone. Millions of thoughts began running through her mind, all of the endless possibilities.

"Squall?" Rinoa said softly, finally making him acknowledge her presence. Squall looked up, and there was something in his eyes, some strange emotion or feeling she hadn't seen before. It went away quickly at the realization it was her, and suddenly Rinoa felt sick to her stomach. Had he been calling for a ride to get away from her? Maybe he hadn't enjoyed the tour as much as she thought he had. "If... you didn't want to hang out anymore, you could have just said so." She told him. With that, she turned around and began to walk away. She thought she heard Squall say her name, or maybe it was her overactive imagination wanting to hear it badly enough, so she started to run down the sidewalk.

Okay, so she had no idea what she was doing. Or why she was overreacting. What had gotten into her? So Squall went to use the payphone, he could have been calling anyone.

Maybe that was what bothered her. Who would he call? He didn't talk to anyone that much, other than her on occasion, his parents, and his sist— _...Lone? Ellone! I'm such an idiot. He was talking to Ellone, he had to be. And I just ran off because... I wouldn't let him explain. He shouldn't have to explain, there's no... law that he has to tell me what he's doing. We're not dating. I don't even think he considers me even close to being his friend. Why did I have to overreact? Why didn't I just stay inside the bar? ...I need to stop thinking so much. _

Rinoa shook her head free of all thoughts related to Squall for the first time in quite awhile, and finally looked up. It seemed that while she had been caught up in her thoughts, her feet had continued to move. She was already at the gate to the mansion.

It suddenly occurred to her that Squall probably wouldn't remember where the mansion was. What if he got lost? It would be all her fault for leaving without making sure he knew where it was. Then again, he could call a cab, except she hadn't noticed more than one since she had gotten to the gate, and he probably wouldn't think about it. Probably be too mad at her to think about it.

Rinoa walked down the driveway and walked up to the door. She tried to open it, and found it — locked. Again. That meant that it was probably fairly certain that the others weren't back yet. _Taking long enough. _Rinoa thought bitterly. Whatever her stepmother was doing entertaining her guests, it was taking forever. And now, Rinoa had to find a way to get the key Squall had to help her get just earlier that same day. She tried not to allow herself to be distracted by the memory of watching him grab it. She'd need all her attention focused on how to get that key down.

_Okay, _Rinoa thought finally. _So, the problem before was that I wasn't tall enough and my arms were to short to reach the key. And since I was too stupid to remember to bring my own key, now I have to try to grab the spare one. With the same problem I had earlier. I could... knock it down with a stick? _With that thought in mind, Rinoa began looking around , but the closest stick she saw wasn't near long enough, and she was starting to be a tad afraid that with no lights on outside, she'd lose the key somewhere on the ground and have to try to find it.

"There has to be a way to get it down!" Rinoa said out loud. _...maybe I've grown an inch in the past few hours. _Rinoa thought to herself sarcastically. She tried to reach up and grab the key. Her hand touched something metal — and then she fell backwards onto the ground. "Ugh!" Rinoa shouted frustrated.

—

_(Squall's POV)_

"So, I guess they weren't kidding when they told me you weren't much of a talker." Squall glared in Devin's direction, though he hardly seemed to notice at all. Of course Squall wasn't going to talk much, not only did he just not talk at all period, but this was Devin, the last person on earth that Squall would want to talk to.

"...they?" Squall couldn't help but ask. Why would anyone feel the need to tell people he didn't talk much? Wasn't it sort of obvious?

"So you're finally going to talk!" Devin said, turning around to face Squall. He stopped walking, and Squall sighed. Couldn't they just get this over with? He wanted back at the mansion, though he had a feeling facing Rinoa might not be the greatest. "Anyway, just people in general. A lot of people talk about it." Squall didn't say anything.

"So, if you don't mind my asking—" _I do._ Squall replied back in his head. "— what are you doing here, anyway? Something the matter?" _...as if you don't know. _

"...family issues." Squall said briefly, when Devin asked again.

"Oh, really? For Rinoa, or you?" Squall turned to Devin and saw that he appeared to be trying not to smirk at something — Squall decided to ignore it. It wasn't his business, right?

"...Rinoa." Squall said briefly. Devin stopped walking abruptly and leaned against the lamp post he was near. Squall waited patiently for several moments, but Devin didn't move or say anything. Sighing, Squall put his hand on his side and looked at the ground, frustrated. How long was this going to take?

"Tell me something, Leonhart." Devin turned to face him, and Squall frowned. Somehow, it was already too clear he wasn't going to like whatever came out of Devin's mouth next. "I get the feeling you don't like me. Any reason behind that?" _Yeah. You've been trying to screw with Rinoa's life before she even met you._

"... here's the thing, Leonhart." Devin started to speak again, and Squall looked up at him. "Though Rinoa has been acting... somewhat strangely, and we haven't seen each other much, she's still my girlfriend. And you may have to live with her, what with your parents being her guardians, but I'm telling you now to stay away from her." Squall narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He wasn't going to let this guy get to him — why the hell didn't he tell him to go back home, and try to find his way to the mansion himself?

"No worries there." Squall said, before he could help himself.

"Good. You won't have to worry about it for long, anyway." Devin added, continuing to walk again. Squall followed him. "You're probably wondering what I mean by that," Devin added louder. _Not likely. _Squall thought to himself. He could suddenly see where the mansion was, and was just about to tell Devin he was fine on his own, when Devin spoke again.

"Your parents won't need to worry about being her guardians much longer." Squall froze.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He could smack himself, for talking to someone he didn't trust. Or like. But he ignored it — his curiosity had already gotten the best of him.

"Once her father dies, Rinoa will have to come back here to live with her stepmother. Oh, now, don't tell me you're upset!" Devin added, seeing Squall look away without another word. "There's no need to be, really. Didn't you hear? My family has been thinking about moving here, permanently. We spend so much time here as it is, anyway. So she'll have me." Whether or not there was a hidden meaning in his words, Squall didn't know. He began to walk away, knowing Devin wouldn't follow, when he stopped and turned around.

"...her father won't die." Squall said firmly. With that, he turned around and continued walking.

So, maybe he had overreacted. Showed... more feeling, however incidental, than he had intended. Maybe it was because he... could relate to Rinoa's situation with her dad being sick. His own mother had been sick before she died, though he hadn't been around to see much of it. And if he had, he certainly didn't remember much. Or maybe he just felt bad, because maybe... he didn't exactly hate her.

_...this is exactly why I told myself to avoid her. I can't let people in, not even Rinoa! She might mean well, but... if I trust one person, it just makes it all the easier to trust another, and it sends off the wrong message to others, tells them that... I want friends. And I don't! I don't know what I want anymore. _Squall sighed. He was so sick of this constant bickering in his own head, sick of it all. Maybe... it wouldn't be so bad if Rinoa didn't live with him anymore.

—

_(Rinoa's POV)_

_I never thought I would be thinking this, but this would sure be a good time for Gabriella to show up. Or even Squall... why do I have to be so short? _For ten minutes, she had been trying to get the key down, and for ten minutes, she had been failing miserably at every attempt. Her cell phone had gone off and it had been Nico, saying they would be home in half an hour — apparently they had gone sightseeing a bit of the outskirts of Deling and just generally Galbadia itself. And were on their way home. _A lot of good that does me for right now. _Rinoa found herself thinking, somewhat bitterly. She was just about to take a look at how far up the nearest window that she could open was, when she saw Squall walking down the driveway. She smiled faintly as his figure got closer, and when he was standing in front of her, she indicated the door.

"Locked?" Squall asked briefly. Rinoa nodded.

"I... can't reach the key again." Squall sighed and grabbed it. Rinoa pointedly looked away, though every fibre of her being was urging her to stare again. He tossed it to her, and she got up. "I — sorry for running off. How did you?..."

"Your boyfriend helped me." Rinoa stared back at him blankly, but he walked past her into the house. She suddenly thought of Devin.

"He... you asked him for help? After everything he's..."

"_You _left me. I can ask for help from whoever I want." Rinoa looked down at the ground. "But... I didn't ask him. He came up to me."

"I overreacted."

"Excuse me?" Squall said, turning around.

"Earlier, when I saw you on the phone, I... I overreacted."

"...no kidding." Squall turned and began to walk through the lobby back to the stairs. Rinoa walked up to him and grabbed onto his shoulder, but he brushed her hand away.

"It was Ellone, right?" Rinoa said softly.

"So on top of spying, you eavesdropped on me?" Squall asked her. He didn't wait for an answer; he turned around and went up the stairs.

"I didn't — I just heard you say good-bye! That's it!" Rinoa sat down on the bottom step. "I promise..." She whispered. It didn't matter — Squall couldn't hear her. She heard the door to the room he was staying in slam shut, and she sighed. Why would Devin want to help Squall? And what had he said that put Squall in such a foul mood?

"Maybe it wasn't Devin at all. Maybe it was me," Rinoa said quietly. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw how late it was getting. Her questions about Squall... they'd just have to wait until morning.

**A/N:** Did you guys hate that chapter as much as I did? Total ick. Really sorry, I'm in a major spot of writers block, so now that I'm past the part I was stuck on, hopefully I can move past it and be fine. Though I did get a bit out in this chapter for future story line stuff — mainly the part about what Devin said about being in Deling permanently (maybe) and some other things that may not make sense. Not much, I can tell you that, but a bit. So, that's good, I suppose. But I expect reviews from some people telling me how weird Squall was and how whiny Rinoa seemed. Oh, and the fact that I did the multi-point of view thing kind of mucked it up too. AHH. I've already rewrote this once before and I want to get this chapter out so, there it was. Review, no matter what you have to say. Hopefully next chapter won't be as boring and overreacting-ish.


	31. Just Another Tragedy Part 1

**A/N**: Okay so that last chapter didn't seem to be too bad for you guys, I haven't so far gotten any obvious complaints, so that's good. Or at least, I think it's good. Maybe it's just me? Anyway, thanks to everyone whose already had a chance to review, your thoughts are always welcome and fun to read, and here is the next chapter. Some of you may hate me for this chapter (if what is supposed to happen in this chapter, gets put in. Otherwise, you'll hate me next chapter.)

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty-One: Just Another Tragedy Part 1

_(Squall's POV)_

Squall closed the door behind him and leaned against it, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He wasn't sure why he overreacted — it wasn't as if he cared if Rinoa heard anything he had said to Ellone. It was just... he was so on edge over everything. And though he just badly wanted to be able to blame Rinoa for all of it, it wasn't her fault. Not entirely, anyway. He wasn't sure what was going on with him lately.

At first, he had blamed everyone else for his getting in these situations with Rinoa. His dad and Nico, for letting her come to live with them in the first place. Rinoa, just for always trying to make him talk to her, as if they were friends. Yet... sometimes, he did want to be around her. She had a cheerfulness that was refreshing, she could relate to losing someone dear to her, and she didn't act like an immature brat. Sure, sometimes she got on his nerves, but...

Now he really was losing it. What was he trying to tell himself, that... maybe he did consider her a friend? Even just a little? _...now I know I need to get to sleep. This is too much to think about right now. _Squall pushed himself up off of the door and looked at his bags that were sitting on the bed. He hadn't wanted to really unpack much earlier — it might somehow enhance the possibility of their staying in Deling longer than originally anticipated. He started to move the bags from on top of his bed to somewhere on the floor where they would be out of the way.

_I can't believe that guy. _Squall thought suddenly, as he began taking his shoes off. _I mean, he'd actually move here just to mess with Rinoa's life? Who does that? Why does he care so much? Because Rinoa's stepmother is making him do all this? Or does he actually enjoy it? _Squall sighed and got under the covers on his bed. _Since when do I care why people do the things they do? It's like... I know people do these things to each other. We always have. So why question the reasoning now? Because it involves Rinoa? And if that's the case, then... why do I even care? _Squall turned over on his side and stared out the window at the night sky. _I don't want to care about anyone. The only people I can truly say I care about are Ellone, Dad and... hell, even Nico. Do I really want to risk adding Rinoa to that list? She's not family, she has a choice as to whether or not she walks away. Family... they tend to put up with more from you. Ugh, all of this... I didn't think near as much about this stuff until after I heard Rinoa say she liked me. Liked... me... I still don't get that. _

"Just shut-up, already!" Squall shouted, trying to block out the thoughts from continuing to run through his head.

"Sorry for living," Squall heard Rinoa say outside in the halls. _Oh no, I said that out loud... _Squall threw off his covers and walked over to the door. When he opened it and looked into the hallway, Rinoa had already gone into her bedroom. Squall walked over and knocked on the door. "Go away," He heard Rinoa say from within.

"Rinoa, I wasn't talking to you when I said to shut-up." Squall said after awhile. "I was... kind of talking to myself." _Yeah, because that's something you want to admit — that you talk to yourself. Isn't fighting with yourself mentally enough of an issue? _

Squall jumped back as the door suddenly opened up and Rinoa was throwing herself at him. Squall took a step back awkward as Rinoa hugged him.

"I'm really, really sorry I eavesdropped! I swear, I only heard you saying good-bye!" Squall awkwardly patted Rinoa gently on the back.

"It's... fine. I overreacted." Squall said, trying to make her let go of him. It didn't work very well; in fact, Rinoa seemed to cling tighter.

"You were just starting to almost talk to me normally, and then I..." Rinoa babbled on, and Squall started to tune out. Squall carefully pried himself from Rinoa's arms.

"...what do you mean, talking normally?" Squall asked her suddenly. Rinoa appeared embarrassed.

"Well... I just meant... you aren't very talkative. You always say 'Whatever' or 'Why should I care?'. Or just nothing at all."

"And why would you care if I talked?" Squall asked, before he could stop himself. Of course he knew why she would care if he talked — she liked him. But even before he knew that, she had tried to get him to talk to her. Maybe she was just lonely.

"...because, Squall, I like you." Squall froze — he hadn't expected her to come out and say that. Apparently, she hadn't meant to either. She seemed to be trying to restrain herself from covering her mouth in shock. "Uh, you know, friend-wise. I just... guess I'm curious. It can't be healthy, holding all of your problems in and allowing your emotions to build up inside of you. I mean, I don't get how you haven't exploded by now!"

"...my problems are exactly that. Mine alone." Squall told her, crossing his arms.

"And there you go again, getting defensive and putting up all your walls! It's like you really don't want to let anyone in, but I can't believe that, I can't!" _Sure you can, Rinoa. You... just don't want to. _"Don't you ever want to talk about things? Just... share your feelings with someone, with people who can relate?"

"And what if they can't relate? If I wanted to let out my problems, I'd write in a journal." Squall added, leaning against the doorframe. Rinoa laughed.

"...and do you?" She asked him teasingly, seeming to have cheered up from earlier.

"...no. And if I did, I wouldn't likely tell you. You live in my house, remember?" Squall added.

"Wow, you're almost being funny. See what I mean? You've broadened your vocabulary massively since I first met you. Now why might that be?" Rinoa asked him teasingly again. Squall froze.

"I... haven't... I mean—"

"Don't tell me..." Rinoa said, stepping closer to him. "Have I actually made _the _one and only Squall Leonhart, _stutter?_ Someone alert the media!" Squall backed up.

"I... just didn't want you to think I was talking to you earlier." Squall said, turning around. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he knew it was Rinoa. He didn't turn to look at her, only stopped walking away.

"...thanks, Squall. For not shutting me out — completely, anyway." He felt her arms wrap around his waist, and he sighed. "Good-night, Squall." Rinoa let go of him and Squall stood there frozen for a moment. He heard her bedroom door close, and suddenly heard a voice.

"Aww, isn't that _sweet._" Squall turned around and saw Rinoa's stepmother sneering down at him. He frowned; he hadn't heard anyone come in, and he certainly hadn't heard Rinoa's stepmother coming up the stairs. "It seems you have a soft spot for my stepdaughter, how touching. Don't get used to that warm fuzzy feeling inside," She warned him. "She _will _be coming back to Deling, and soon."

"Why don't you waste your time on someone who gives a damn?" Squall told her, before turning away from her and walking into his room. Warm, fuzzy feeling inside? _...more like nausea. And I do _not _have a soft spot for Rinoa. She came at me, she's the one who — _yet he knew he hadn't pushed her away. Why? Every time she tried to talk to him, he started off trying to ignore her or brush her off and then suddenly, it was... as if he wanted to talk to her. So he did. Once he started, it was if he couldn't stop. Words he'd never before said out loud to another person were suddenly in the open. Whenever she tried to have some kind of physical contact, it was... somewhat awkward, but again he never pushed her away. He never told her to stop, and he never brought it up again. He just... let her do whatever.

Was he accidentally leading her on? What if she thought... he liked her as more than a friend? If she didn't have feelings for him, it would be something embarrassing he could laugh off. Well... not exactly laugh off. He usually wasn't much of the laughing type. But he could ignore it, move past it. What if he did hurt her? He wasn't sure why he cared, but he knew he couldn't do that.

_I just want things back to normal. When Dad and Nico first told me some girl would be moving in with us, I thought they were trying to make up for Ellone being gone to college. Give me a sister, so that I didn't have such a void — Ellone's probably the only other person I talk to a lot. But Rinoa... she doesn't fill that void. And I feel like even though I try so hard to not talk to her, I still kind of want to. It... it's confusing and messed up and I don't get it. I don't get much of anything about me. Am I changing, or am I just finally acknowledging emotions and thoughts that have been locked away for too long? Would it help if I said I didn't know how I felt about Rinoa? _Squall sighed and walked over to his window.

_No, that doesn't help. All that does is make me try to speculate how I do feel. Friends? Less than friends? ...more than friends? I don't want these thoughts. I don't want these decisions. It's like I'm losing control and there's nothing I can do about it. Except brood endlessly. Sleep... even that offers barely any comfort. Who knows what I'll say in my sleep, or what I'll dream?... Still, anything has to be better than this endless speculation. _Squall crawled under the covers for good, and closed his eyes. Thoughts threatened to come crashing in his head, but he forced them away the best he could and just focused on falling asleep. It didn't take as long as he might have expected.

—

_Squall looked around — he was in the room Rinoa was staying in at his house. But why were the walls bare, the dressers empty? Her room didn't smell like... whatever it was that always lingered in the air there before. He walked down the stairs. _

"_Good morning, Squall! Want some eggs for breakfast?" Nico asked him cheerfully. Squall blinked, before nodding._

"_Uh, sure. Nico? Where's Rinoa?" Squall asked her, sitting down at the table. Nico looked back at him blankly. "...Rinoa? Rinoa Heartilly? Her father's the General of the Galbadian Army?" _...what's going on? _Squall thought. _

"_Oh, Rinoa Heartilly? Now, I didn't know you knew Julia's daughter! Got a little crush on her?" Nico added with a wink. Squall frowned. Why did people keep asking that?_

"_No, she was — has anyone stayed in Ellone's room lately?" Squall asked suddenly. Ellone's old room was the one that Rinoa had been staying in. Yet Nico acted as if... Rinoa had never been there at all. _

"_Of course not, you should know that. Are you feeling alright?" Nico asked him, suddenly concerned. Squall seized this as an opportunity._

"_...uh, actually, I think I need some air. Guess I don't want breakfast after all." Squall got up and walked outside without another word. He was trying to clear his head... was this real? Had he imagined Rinoa? If he had... then why did he remember her so vividly? How could he imagine someone he had never even met before? _Zell... he was friends with her. He has to remember her! _Squall thought suddenly. He walked across the lawn and rang the doorbell. Zell answered, and looked amazed to see him standing there._

"_Squall! Dude! What brings you to my doorstep? Heh, literally." Zell leaned against the door frame, crossing his legs and arms._

"_...do you remember Rinoa?" Squall asked carefully. Zell shook his head._

"_Don't think so. Hey, is she your girlfriend? Gee, I didn't know you dated!" Zell exclaimed, sounding shocked. Squall didn't even bother to correct him, but turned and walked away. Nico, Zell... they didn't remember her. Was he the only one? _Rinoa... it's not the same without you here, and I don't know... why. Before you came, everything... was perfectly fine. I was fine. I didn't realize how used to you I had gotten, how much I... yeah, I guess, sort of needed you. I can't comprehend any of this right now, but I do know that... maybe I don't want you to have to move back to Deling. Please, let this be a dream... just let me wake up! _Squall closed his eyes tightly, trying to do anything to end this. Suddenly, a dizzy sensation washed over him, and when he opened his eyes... _

—

... he was staring at the ceiling in the mansion. It had been a dream — he felt thankful and relieved at that, though he still wasn't sure exactly why. He knew one thing for sure — Rinoa's father was getting sicker and sicker as the minutes ticked by, and if he didn't get Rinoa's legal Guardianship signed over to his dad and Nico, then... she'd have to come back to Deling. And if that happened, there was no chance of her ever returning to Balamb. And then he really would lose her — even if he wasn't sure what that meant to him yet.

**A/N**: A bit short again, but a quicker update and with something that will either work out really well with those of you reading this, or end up dreadfully. I feel much better about this chapter than the last, mainly because more things with Squall and his feelings were established and it's such a relief to get that done, but we'll wait to see what you guys think to make the final decision as to how this chapter really is. Next chapter or the one after should have a big event, and I won't say anything more than that. Could be good, could be bad. Maybe it's about Squall and Rinoa, or maybe it's completely unrelated to both of them as a potential couple. You'll just have to wait and see, 'cause I'm evil that way. Hope to hear your feedback, whether good or bad. See you all next update.


	32. Just Another Tragedy Part 2

**A/N:** So, I've only read one review from the last chapter so far (got it rather early on and haven't had a chance to check my email since) but it seemed that the chapter fared off well from that, so hopefully everyone else liked that chapter too. And, if not, it'll probably say something in my ending author note. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and I will get to those reviews shortly, and here's the next chapter, R&R.

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty-Two: Just Another Tragedy Part 2

_(Rinoa's POV)_

With a sigh, Rinoa closed the door behind her and sank down to the floor against it. That had been... awkward, yet enjoyable. She hadn't meant to almost blurt out that she liked Squall, yet even though she said it, it hadn't seemed to faze him much. Maybe she just wasn't as good at reading him as she thought, or, maybe... _maybe he already knows. _Rinoa cringed at that thought. Nothing would be more embarrassing — though she supposed it was a good thing that if he did know and he didn't suddenly avoid her.

It had been rather unexpected for him to come and apologize to her — did he truly care that much about what she thought or assumed? _Probably just didn't want to hear me go on about it. _Still, talking to him... he had almost seemed eager. Like he wanted to have someone to talk to, even if he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Maybe he was getting tired of being alone all the time, or maybe she was finally getting to him.

Was that what she wanted? She wanted to get to know him, and to have him open up to her, but how far would she be willing to go to achieve that?

No, what really amazed her was how endlessly, time after time of her attempting some form of physical contact, he had not pushed her away. He barely even tensed up anymore — if anyone else but Rinoa attempted that, would he react the same? Was it something restricted to family and people he cared about enough, or just her?

Care about. So she thought he cared about her? _...come on Rinoa, is that all you can think about is Squall? I mean, yeah, you like him, but... _It was as if suddenly all the memories of the past few days came flooding back — Squall slowly opening up and Rinoa finally getting adjusted to life in Balamb, and then the news of her fathers injury — the possibility of her having to live in Deling again...

_Daddy... how long has it been since I called you that? Where... where did we go wrong? When did everything between us start to change? I know I act as if I hate Gabriella, and Katie, and sometimes I do, but... I don't know. Maybe I didn't give them enough of a chance, maybe I should have tried harder for dad's sake... _

"Aww, isn't that _sweet._" Rinoa heard a voice, which broke her from her previous train of thought. Her stepmother — was she talking to Squall? _...why can't she just leave things alone, for once? _Rinoa thought sadly.

"It seems you have a soft spot for my stepdaughter, how touching. Don't get used to that warm fuzzy feeling inside. She _will _be coming back to Deling, and soon." Those last words sounded like a threat, and Rinoa covered her ears frantically. Whatever Squall said was lost to her — she knelt down next to her bed and closed her eyes tightly, trying to make everything around her disappear. It was often something she had done when she was little and wanted to pretend nothing was wrong.

She heard the knocking at her door, quiet and gentle at first, and then becoming more frantic and loud. "Rinoa, open this door!" Her stepmother called inside. Flashbacks from her childhood came, to times she had said something disrespectful and locked herself in her room — her stepmother was always ordering her to open her bedroom door.

Rinoa got up and opened her door for the second time that night, and saw her stepmother glaring at her.

"Took your precious time, didn't you?" Her stepmother asked her — Rinoa didn't bother answering, or so much as rolled her eyes. She just wanted her stepmother to go away, so she could sleep. "I suppose you had fun, with your new... _friend,_" The last word was spat out as if it was poison on her tongue. Rinoa shrugged. "Perhaps, had you come downstairs when I called you —" _...you called me? How could I possibly have heard that? _"—you would know that there's been a complication at the hospital. Only out of respect to your father, have I told you, being the —"

"—ungrateful, selfish, rude, irresponsible brat that I am." Rinoa finished for her. "What do you mean, complications?" Rinoa asked her, getting straight to the point. Had something happened to her father? No, she... she couldn't lose him too. She wanted to do something, try to repair their relationship, try to... make things right again.

"Infection has set in your fathers wounds, to the point of no return — there are few options available to him, though ultimately it will be my decision as to what we do, as I am his — anyway, if you want to go to the hospital, you better be downstairs in ten minutes, because I promise you that I will leave with or without you." With that, Gabriella turned on her heels and marched down the hallway, probably to the master bedroom to change or do something with her hair — she always had to look her best no matter what the circumstance, though Rinoa thought it to be a hopeless cause no matter how hard she tried.

"No..." Rinoa whispered, leaning against the wall outside of her room. Infection... she wasn't a stranger to that word. If it was as bad as her stepmother had claimed it to be, her father could die. There was no way in hell her stepmother would do 'whatever it took to save him', even if she did claim she had and tried to play the part of the concerned and worried wife. Maybe she was concerned, a little — she probably even loved him a little, though she had tried to kill him.

There was a strange noise coming from just a room down from Rinoa's, and she cocked her eyebrows in confusion. It sounded like sobbing, but who?... she was about to find out. Walking down to the next room, she realized it was coming from within — Katie's room.

"Katie?" Rinoa replied gently, knocking on the door. There was no answer from inside the room, though she heard the sobbing abruptly stop. She pushed the door open gently, and saw Katie sitting on her bed, facing the opposite direction and keeping her back to Rinoa. "Are you... alright?" _...I know that we don't get along. But... you lost your dad years ago. I guess... my dad has been your father figure all these years, and you're sad about it too. I was so focused on my sadness, and my anger towards your mom that... _Rinoa stopped thinking abruptly. These weren't the things she should be saying in her head — she should be saying them to Katie, saying anything, to make her feel even remotely better.

"...just go away, Rinoa." Katie said, but not with very much conviction. Rinoa cautiously took a step forward. "I said just go away!" Katie shouted louder this time. Suddenly, she began sobbing again, and everything they had ever said or done to each other slowly melted away. Sure, later they'd worry about it, and they probably wouldn't get along anymore — but now was not the time to be fighting. Not when they were both worried about someone they loved.

"...I'm sorry Katie. Sometimes I forget he's your dad too," Rinoa said, kneeling down next to Katie's bed. "Can I... can I ask you something?" Rinoa said suddenly, remembering the picture in her room from earlier that Squall had seen. Katie sniffled slightly, but nodded. "...before I came back here with the Loire's, had you... been in my room?" _Old room, unless Gabriella has her way. _

"...I... Sammie, he came into my room and he found the picture from... you know, when we were little. He asked who it was, and I told him, and then he got sad, because... well, he missed you. He always did like you better," She added rather bitterly. "I took him to your room — he must have left the picture there."

"You're wrong, Katie," Rinoa said softly. "Sammie loves both of us — he just missed me because I wasn't there anymore. And if he went to you, not... Gabriella, then he obviously loves you more than you think." Defending her would-be-sister and trying to make her feel better about herself seemed foreign to Rinoa — everything they had been through just didn't matter right now. It was as if the childishness of it was suddenly so clear, that Rinoa thought it was silly. Even if at the time, it had seemed like a serious matter. _Okay, it was a serious matter. It still is. But... we can work things out later. Right now..._

"—we need to get downstairs and go to the hospital." Rinoa said firmly suddenly. Katie looked up at her confused. _...right, I thought the first bit of that in my head. _"I mean... all of this, doesn't matter right now. Let's just... go, okay?" Katie nodded, and it somehow felt empowering, to act as the strong one of the two. Though she felt every bit as sad as Katie did on the inside, she was trying to be strong for her. It was the closest she had felt to being there for a family in a long time, and though they weren't perfect — for now, she was stuck with them. And even if Gabriella tried to make their lives miserable, she'd do whatever she could to lend support. Maybe it was just in her nature — she always felt she had to be strong for someone else.

"Please, be okay..." Rinoa whispered, as they walked down the stairs. She hoped her father could hold on — maybe Katie would be helpful after all, if they needed to persuade their stepmother to do whatever it took to save their dad.

—

_It feels as if it's been hours. Only one hour... how's that possible? I wish they'd tell us what's going on. Why can't we see you? Dad... I don't know what to do. I know we haven't gotten along the best, but... this can't be the end of it all. _Rinoa looked up hopefully as a bunch of doctors and nurses came out of the rooms, but none of them so much as gave her a sympathetic or impatient look. _You came to the hospital to get better, and... look what happened. You got worse, in my opinion. _

"...where's Gabriella?" Rinoa asked suddenly, turning to Katie. _If I find out they've let her in to see him, and not us... _

"She went to the cafeteria. She said she needed something to eat... she was so stressed out. Poor mom," Katie added. Rinoa tried hard to refrain herself from rolling her eyes, and looked back at the same door she had been staring at — where the doctors were currently talking to her dad. She had tried earlier to listen at the door, but it was too thick — she couldn't hear a thing. And even if she could, the nurses kept coming in and out of that room and would have knocked right into her.

_I don't get why they can't tell us what's going on. I need to talk to you, dad. I... I'm scared. I don't want to lose you, and... I don't want to have to live with Gabriella. Have you signed those papers? What if... they decide to discredit it, because you were too heavily medicated? ...I need to stop thinking. Maybe... gross as it is... coffee would do me some good right about now. _Rinoa stood up and stretched her arms, stifling a yawn. She looked over and saw Katie half asleep in her own chair.

"...want some coffee?" Rinoa asked her suddenly.Katie nodded briefly.

"S...sure." Katie replied, opening her eyes. "Rinoa? ...thanks." Rinoa didn't say anything, only smiled slightly and nodded in acknowledgment. She walked down the hallway and hit the elevator call button. Looking at the sign next to the elevator, she saw that the cafeteria was on the first floor. The elevator came up, and Rinoa stepped in.

When the elevator finally arrived on the main floor, and the doors opened up, Rinoa was startled to see Squall standing at the reception desk. She walked towards him, and then stopped when he saw her. She shrugged at him.

"I— is...?" Squall stopped and shook his head.

"I don't know, the doctors aren't saying anything to us." Rinoa said tiredly. "Why are you here?" She asked him, continuing on her way. She stopped for a moment when she saw Nico and Laguna sitting with her stepmother, but continued to the coffee machine.

"Your stepmother told my parents about your father's condition, and when I woke up, they said we were coming here." Squall said, observing her, probably trying to see if she looked visibly okay. Well, she wasn't — and she knew she looked like hell. _Woke up? _Rinoa thought distantly. _Either he woke up in the middle of the night, or... it's been a lot longer than I thought. When was the last time I even checked to see what time it was? _Not that it mattered — what time it was wouldn't make her stay longer, or leave sooner. It wouldn't make her feel better, or worse. She wasn't even that curious about it, didn't feel much of anything. A numbing sensation spread throughout her body as she tried to hide her emotions.

"So they made you come?" Rinoa frowned. She hadn't meant to voice that question out loud.

"I — well, not exactly. If I would have... tried not to, then they would have, but I..." Squall trailed off. Rinoa didn't know why she had felt the need to say anything about it — maybe she was just desperate to be mad at someone, anyone. If she wasn't mad, she might break down, and she didn't want anyone, especially Squall, to see that.

"I'm sorry, Squall, I'm just stressed out." She poured another cup of coffee, and then turned to Squall. "Did you want one?" She asked as an afterthought. He shook his head, and when Rinoa began to head back in the direction of the elevator again, he followed her. She stared at him questioningly, but he just shrugged and said nothing. Maybe Nico and Laguna had told him to stay with her.

The elevator arrived, and Rinoa pushed the button for the floor that her fathers room was on. When it stopped again, she walked back to where she had been sitting and saw that Katie was gone. Either she had just up and left, or gone to the bathroom, or... something was going on with her — their — dad.

"Guess she didn't want a coffee that badly," Rinoa muttered, putting it down on a table overflowing with various books and magazines. She sank down into the same chair she had been sitting in for the past few hours, and Squall took the chair that Katie had been previously occupying.

"...do you want me to find her?" Squall asked after awhile. Rinoa turned and looked at him, saw he was watching her. If she trusted her reading of peoples expressions at that moment, she might have thought he looked concerned.

"I — don't know."

"Do you want to be alone?" he asked her. Rinoa bit her bottom lip and stared at the ground. It would be the first time to be alone since they had gotten to the hospital. She hadn't dared to leave her seat before, not when she believed that the doctors might actually tell her something. Once that hope had faded... she wasn't sure why she stayed, but she hadn't wanted to cry in front of Katie, and she certainly didn't want to cry in front of Squall. Even though she had been upset before when she found out her father was in an accident, somehow this was different. It wasn't just being afraid of losing him — it was afraid of her life changing. Afraid of not having the chance to mend their relationship, or to talk to him again.

"Maybe... you could look around for Katie? If... you didn't mind." Rinoa added quietly. If he was looking for Katie, it would be an excuse for him not to be around her if she did break down. Everything was just confusing to her, nothing made sense. She hated the sensation.

"I'll come back in a bit, whether I've found her or not, to..." Squall trailed off and closed his mouth. Whatever words he had originally intended to follow, he refused to say. Rinoa nodded, and stared at the door where the doctors had been coming out.

When he was gone, Rinoa bowed her head and sobbed. She put her head in her hands, buried her face deep and kept it hidden from view. She heard the door to her fathers room open, but didn't even bother to look up. Doctors had been coming in and out of there for awhile now, and not saying anything. Why should this time be any different?

Yet the footsteps grew louder, and Rinoa looked at the ground and saw a pair of white shoes in front of her. She pulled her head out of her arms and looked up to see a doctor standing in front of her. He knelt down in front of her, and stared back at her.

"I need to talk to you and your family together." The doctor told her finally. He stood back up and looked around, not seeing them. "Do you know where they are?" He asked her.

"My stepmother... was in the cafeteria. Someone's already looking for my stepsister, but she's probably still nearby." Rinoa stood up, but her legs felt weak and she fell to the floor. She sat there for awhile, and began to cry again. The doctor offered his hand to help her, but she pushed it away. The doctor backed away without another word and left her alone. All she could think was how she was sure the doctor wanted to tell her the worst — it was a feeling she felt deep inside.

"I hope Squall's found Katie," She whispered to herself, before getting up and walking to the elevator. She pushed the button to call it up to the floor she was on, and when the elevator doors opened, she saw her stepmother glaring coldly back at her.

"Well?" Gabriella asked her. Rinoa shook her head.

"I don't know. The doctor wants to talk to all of us." Rinoa said as civilly as she could manage.

"Katie?" Gabriella said again. _She's acting like Squall usually does, with all these one word sentences. _Rinoa thought, as amused as she had been since she got to the hospital. It soon faded quickly when she saw Squall walking back, Katie trailing behind him. He walked past Rinoa without a second glance, without saying anything, and took the elevator down. Rinoa was confused by this, but she had no time speculate over it.

The doctor seemed to have noticed they had all come up, and walked towards them. He motioned at the seats outside Rinoa's fathers room, and they all sat down.

"What did you want to talk to us about, Doctor?" Gabriella asked. The doctor stared back at them gravely.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

**A/N**: I'm really sorry about the wait for this chapter, I got a little caught up in school and working on a collab fanfiction with Emerald-Latias, if you haven't checked it out, you might want to sometime. It's called Here Is Gone, and our account name is EilayAndEmerald (or something like that with both our pennames combined). Anyway, not sure how this chapter went down, if it was rushed or too slow or... whatever. But, instead of doubting myself, I'm just going to wait for your comments, since I already know I always think the worst even if its good sometimes. Next chapter will be Squall's POV and backtrack a little to before he got to the hospital, so you can see these things through his perspective. He wasn't in this chapter much, so you won't have to see much repeated in the next chapter, but you'll have a better understanding. Anyway, R&R, even if you didn't like it, and let me know what you think.


	33. Just Another Tragedy Part 3

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the last chapter so far, your reviews mean a lot and here's the next chapter. Sorry to say, but you won't find out anything about what the Doctor has to say to Rinoa, her stepmother and her stepsister, until NEXT chapter, which is why I am trying to make this update just a little quicker for you as it will be purely Squall based. R&R!

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty-Three: Just Another Tragedy Part 3

_(Squall's POV)_

Tossing and turning in his sleep, Squall suddenly found himself wide awake. He sat up and looked out the window off to the side of the room he was in, letting out a sigh. He found himself having problems staying asleep out here in Deling. Maybe it was because he was uncomfortable staying in someone else's home, or maybe it was just because of everything he had on his mind lately. Even he couldn't make sense of most of it.

It was hard to believe for him that Rinoa had only been staying with him and his family for a short time. _Even harder to believe that no matter what I start thinking of, it somehow leads to something about her. Have I really become this predictable? I guess it's only predictable if others pick up on it. _Squall thought, getting up and walking over to the window. It overlooked the backyard of the mansion, showing a path leading up to a large fountain, and behind that a garden. _Rinoa's father didn't seem like the gardening type, and her stepmother doesn't look like someone who'd be interested in that. Then again, I guess anyone can hire a gardener._

He heard muffled voices suddenly out in the hall, and frowned. With a quick glance at the clock in the room, he could see it wasn't exactly a reasonable hour to be having a conversation. Then again, nothing lately had been overly reasonable or normal.

"_Should we wake him up?"_ came the voices in the hall. Him? Squall was the only one in the house he thought they could be talking about.The only other male in the house was his father, and he thought he heard a male voice responding.

"_Do you think he'd want to go to the hospital?" _Yeah, that sounded like his dad._ The hospital... _Squall's stomach suddenly lurched. Rinoa's father was still in the hospital. Deciding to get it over with, and make up the mind of what he was now sure to be his dad and Nico in the hallway, he walked across the room and opened the door.

Sure enough, there was Nico and his father outside in the hall. They looked over at him, his dad looking sheepish, but Nico worried.

"Squall... a few hours ago, Gabriella got a call from the hospital." Gabriella? It must have been Rinoa's stepmothers name. "She took Katie and Rinoa there, to see their father." Nico told him quietly. "We were going to go and check up on them, see how they're doing. Would you... like to come?" Squall looked past her, staring at the wall. He had no real reason to go, but... he knew that he wanted to anyway.

"Yeah." Squall said finally. His father seemed surprised, but Nico only smiled, as if she had been sure that would have been his answer. Squall ignored both of them and began descending down the stairs.

Why did he want to go to the hospital? He supposed it wasn't too farfetched that he'd feel bad, for Rinoa and her family having to go through with this. _Rinoa and her family? Well, I don't care much for her stepmother or stepsister. But... Rinoa... _Squall shook his head. Would he ever be able to think in peace without interrupting his own thoughts with Rinoa?

He tried to remember what it had been like, before she came. His thoughts only straying to mostly what he wanted to think of — him, not talking or taking an interest in anyone. Did he really prefer it that way? He stayed away from people, even his parents, because... he was afraid. Of losing them. In the beginning, it had even been like that with his own sister. Over time, she had begun to show him that she wasn't going anywhere until the day she died, and even then, she'd always be with him.

Had Rinoa begun to do the same thing as Ellone? Get him used to her presence, to talking to her. Outside of his family, she was the only other person that he really could say he talked to at all, least of all on his own like that. Why was that? What was so... different about her? Because she actually tried to talk to him? _No, _Squall thought. _Other people have tried for years to get me to talk to them. I've always ignored them anyway. So what's so different? _If there was one thing Squall wished, it was that he could have his thoughts back — or at least understand why they'd suddenly taken a turn.

"Squall–"

"Let's just go." Squall cut off his father and walked out the doorto the car waiting for them.

—

The drive to the hospital seemed painfully long. Maybe if he had more of an idea of what was going on, it wouldn't be so bad. Somehow, he felt... anxious, away from Rinoa when she was bound to be upset. That could have been caused by many different reasons, but he tried to think that he just considered her... maybe a friend, and that he knew somewhat what she was going through.

Just the thought of her being upset and scared left a clenched feeling in the pit of his stomach. He tried to force himself not to think about it, but everything he tried was useless. His mind kept going back to Rinoa. What if her father died, and she was taken away forever? Did he really want her father to live because it was what she wanted, or... did he have his own selfish reasons?

What selfish reasons could he possibly have. If he wanted her to stay, then that would mean he had some sort of feelings for her. Did he want her to stay? He thought back to his dream, how strange and empty it had felt when he thought she was gone. How much he had pleaded for her to not to be taken away, and how he had hoped it was only a dream.

"We're there," Came Nico's voice softly. Squall tore his gaze from the window and saw her looking back at him. He gave her a questioning look, and she turned away without another word. Taking off his seatbelt, Squall opened the car door and looked up at the hospital. It was still dark outside.

They walked in together, but Nico and his father both stopped suddenly. Squall continued walking, before he realized they were no longer with him. He stopped and turned around.

"Why don't you go on up ahead – I see Rinoa's stepmother, we're going to go talk to her for a bit. I think Rinoa would rather talk to you anyway." She added. Squall stared after her, confused. Why would Rinoa rather talk to him? Well... she did like him. That fact still surprised him and confused him. But did Nico realize that? He hoped not – it was bad enough he knew, and not exactly from the most honest methods. _Not that it's my fault or anything._

Rinoa... what would he say when he saw her? She was going to be upset, emotional... he could just imagine her seeing him and wrapping her arms around him again like she had before. He was shocked at how he wasn't nearly as against that as he had been before.

_Rinoa... what have you done to me? Could I really possibly... have feelings for you? Your stepmother... said I had a soft spot for you. I thought she was full of it. I still think that... somewhat._ He sighed and walked up to the reception desk.

"Excuse me," Squall said quietly, bringing the nurses attention to him. "I'm looking for a Rinoa Heartilly – she's here visiting her father, Mr. —"

"Oh, the General's daughter? She passed by here a moment ago, I — oh, there she is!" The nurse exclaimed, pointing in the direction Squall had just come from. He turned and saw her coming out of the elevator. She looked up and saw him and shrugged.

"I — is...?" Squall shook his head. He couldn't bring himself to ask it, and he knew he looked like a moron who couldn't even form a full sentence.

"I don't know, the doctors aren't saying anything to us." She told him. She looked miserable, and exhausted. Though that was to be expected — she had probably been here for hours, and she hadn't been able to talk to the doctors. "Why are you here?" Squall looked up and saw Rinoa staring back at him, confused. She started to continue on her way to the cafeteria. He almost felt a little hurt at the way she asked him why he was there. Did he need a reason? He thought she had wanted him around more often.

"Your stepmother told my parents about your father's condition, and when I woke up, they said we were coming here." He told her. Okay, so it wasn't exactly the complete truth – they had given him a choice to come. And he had wanted to. But... until he worked out exactly what that meant, Rinoa didn't need to know that. He looked away, suddenly realizing he had been staring at her.

"So they made you come?" Squall turned in her direction and saw her frown.

"I — well, not exactly. If I would have... tried not to, then they would have, but I..." He trailed off awkwardly. This wasn't exactly going as he had planned. _Not that I thought it out or anything... she sounds as if she's almost... mad at me. _They stopped at a coffee machine and Rinoa began pouring a cup of it.

"I'm sorry, Squall, I'm just stressed out." Squall waved his hand, signifying that it was fine. "Did you want one?" She asked suddenly. He shook his head, and she began to walk away. He began considering whether he should follow her or not, when he saw Nico and Laguna watching. The last thing he wanted was to have to go over there and sit with them to talk to Rinoa's stepmother. He followed Rinoa. She turned and looked at him questioningly, seeming to wonder why he was bothering with her at all. Some sort of realization seemed to hit her, though, because she soon looked away without another word, the confusion on her face gone.

Squall pushed the call button on the elevator, and they stood there in silence. When the elevator arrived, they both stepped in and Rinoa pushed the button for the floor that her father was on. Squall looked to take a quick note. It was the ninth floor.

He felt so useless. He wanted to do something, say anything, to break the silence. That wasn't like him at all. Though he liked having time left alone to his thoughts, he was used to Rinoa breaking the silence, constantly prattling on about one thing or another. Seeing her look so dismayed, so upset and quiet, drove him insane. Yet he wasn't used to this — he didn't know what he could possibly do.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened to reveal the ninth floor. Rinoa stepped out and Squall followed closely behind her. She seemed to look around, looking for someone who clearly wasn't there. Since Rinoa didn't get along with anyone in her family, he wondered briefly who it could possibly be that she was looking for. Had she made amends with someone, or... was there someone else she had been expecting? Maybe that was why she had been so indifferent about him arriving at the hospital.

_Stop it! Just... stop thinking. _Squall shook his head furiously. If he kept this up, Rinoa was going to notice something was wrong with him sooner or later. Maybe not now, when she was worried about her father, but after...

"Guess she didn't want a coffee that badly," Rinoa muttered, putting it down on a table overflowing with various books and magazines. She sat down in one of the chairs, and Squall sat next to her, not taking his eyes away from her. Finally, feeling embarrassed that he was watching her, Squall turned and stared at the floor. Since he had seen her stepmother down in the cafeteria, he knew Rinoa would have seen her as well. If that was who she had been looking for, she would have stayed there. She must have been looking for her stepsister Katie.

He glanced at her again and saw that she looked as if she was about to start crying any minute. He wasn't sure he wanted to be there if that happened — and from the looks of it, she may not have wanted to cry in front of him at all.

"...do you want me to find her?" Squall asked finally. Rinoa turned and looked at him as if she had just remembered he was even there.

"I — don't know." He saw the tears building up in her eyes, and noticed her blink them away.

"Do you want to be alone?" He asked her again. She seemed to be considering this — finally, she turned and looked back at him.

"Maybe... you could look around for Katie? If... you didn't mind." Rinoa added quietly. Squall nodded and stood up.

"I'll come back in a bit, whether I've found her or not, to..." Squall trailed off and closed his mouth. Rinoa stared at him, waiting for him to continue, he knew, but he said nothing. He started to walk down the hallway, figuring he'd check this floor first and see if she had maybe just started walking around. He turned around once he got to the end of the hall, and saw Rinoa put her head in her hands. Anyone could tell that she was crying. He started to walk towards her, but felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Why are you here?" He heard. He sighed — was everyone going to be asking him that question?

"I came with my parents." He turned around and saw Katie standing there. He brushed her hand off his shoulder gently. He didn't want to be rude or start something when she was probably upset as well, but feeling her hand on him... it bothered him. "Rinoa was looking for you." He added. He went to turn around and walk away again, but stopped when he heard Katie speak again.

"You didn't come just because your parents made you, did you?" She asked him quietly. He turned around and saw her smile weakly at him.

"What are you talking about?" He asked before he could stop himself. He silently scolded himself — he didn't care. He shouldn't care.

"Rinoa. You like her, right? That's why you two are always together." Squall frowned.

"I do not like Rinoa." He assured her. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Whatever you say. How did you know she was looking for me?" She asked, and Squall was grateful that she had changed the subject.

"I asked her if she wanted me to look for you. But..." He turned back and saw a doctor standing in front of her. "I think you should go soon," He added. He went to walk away, but felt her grab his arm. He turned around and glared at her. "Let — go of me." He warned her.

"Will you tell her I'm sorry?" Katie asked suddenly. Squall immediately felt a pang of guilt and pulled his arm away from her.

"Sorry for what?"

"I knew what was going on... I never told her..." Katie looked back towards Rinoa. "She likes you a lot, you know." Yes, he did know that. But how did she? Rinoa wasn't exactly close to her — and as far as he knew, it was a recent development.

"What makes you say that?" He asked her, trying to sound indifferent.

"My mother wouldn't be so determined to do whatever she could to keep her here if she didn't. And she wouldn't be so determined to get Rinoa to date someone besides you, though that doesn't seemed to have worked out for her."

"Why would she care? And why are you telling me this?" Squall asked. It didn't make sense. So what if Rinoa... if she had feelings for him? Did it really matter that much to her stepmother?

"I don't know why she cares so much. And I'm telling you this because..." She looked back at Rinoa and then looked at the ground. "We used to be friends," She replied softly. "And then I turned on her, and I was very, very cruel. She was miserable here, because of me. She's finally happy, and... it's because of you and your family." Katie added. Squall didn't say anything, just stood there in silence. _I don't know what to think, or what I want anymore. _"If... our dad dies... she'll never be allowed back to Balamb, and she'll never be allowed to see you." _I can't help but want to make you feel better, because when I see you upset... _

_I want to be there for you. I don't know why, don't understand why, but I do. Rinoa... I... _

"I can't handle this." Squall said suddenly. He turned to Katie who was staring at him blankly. "I'm sorry. I think they want to talk to you — the doctor is there with your mother and Rinoa." With that said, he turned around and started walking in a fast pace towards the elevator. He had to get out of here, away from all these people, from these thoughts getting mixed in together. He couldn't keep anything straight. He knew Rinoa saw him walk by, but he didn't even look at her.

He was afraid of what she would see if he did.

**A/N:** Okay, so I personally had some mixed feelings about this chapter, buut... well, you're the readers. I'll let you guys judge it however you might. I'm really sorry about the long wait, I'm going to start working on the next chapter right away and hopefully get it out today as well. Just because I know a lot of you are probably ready to murder me in my sleep, wanting to know what happens to Rinoa's dad. So, I'll try and get that out today as well. And, I want to apologize in advance if this chapter seemed to move a bit fast or if it moved too slow — I'm trying to keep it realistic between Squall and Rinoa, going by what I've done throughout the entire story up to this point, but it's proving a bit difficult to transition gradually to the upcoming relationship stage. So I tried to make Squall seem very confused this chapter to these feelings he has about Rinoa - just generally his urges to comfort her and like at the end when he realized he wants to be there for her. R&R - I'd love to hear what you guys think because, since I haven't updated in so long (writer's block, ick) I'm not sure what to expect about this chapter. If it sucked, well, at least it hopefully pushed me past the writer's block stage so you guys can get regular decent chapters.


	34. Just Another Tragedy Part 4

**A/N**: Alright, I'm in the process of uploading the previous chapter now to the site, as I'm beginning to work on this chapter. So hopefully some of you may even get both chapters at once to read. Normally I wouldn't try to do two updates in a day because though I'm sure some of you would love me for it, I try to space it out (sometimes a bit TOO long, as I'm sure you all noticed.). But, since I figured I tortured you for God knows how long about Rinoa's father, I'd try to get at least that much out. So, R&R, and hope you enjoy this chapter if you didn't enjoy the last one.

**Disclaimer**: You know, I probably don't have to put one of these on each individual story but it's just a habit I've gotten into, so I guess I'll continue. Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix, NOT me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty-Four: Just Another Tragedy Part 4

_(Rinoa's POV)_

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." The doctor said sadly. Rinoa closed her eyes tightly, refusing to look at him. "Your husband — and your father," He added, indicating Katie and Rinoa. "His condition is worse than we thought. His body is not responding to the medication we've been giving him whatsoever. However, there is some good news —" Rinoa noticed her stepmother's head shoot up in surprise.

"What good could possibly come from this?" Gabriella asked. Rinoa narrowed her eyes slightly — her stepmother's voice didn't exactly sound grief-stricken.

"We have other medications that we've switched him to – and they seem to be working. We think the worst is over, but there are no guarantees." _Nobody can guarantee the future, right? _Rinoa thought. _At least... there's a chance he'll be okay. _

"What are the side affects of this medication?" Gabriella asked finally, her lips pursed tightly. The doctor looked at her, surprised.

"Side affects?" He questioned.

"Yes!" She snapped impatiently. "All medication has some side affects, even if only for certain people."

"Best case scenario, he may have a loss of appetite, or feel a bit dehydrated. Worst case scenario... there could be some temporary memory loss from extended use."

"But the medication is working?" Gabriella asked. The doctor nodded.

"At the moment, it seems to be working perfectly. The infection that had settled in we think is clearing, the bacteria seem to be getting killed off and have been unable to spread the infection anywhere else in his body. If all goes well with this medication, he should be home in a week."

"That's excellent news." Gabriella said finally, standing up. "May I see him?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid only one visitor at a time may see him. He was asleep when I was in there, so I can't let any of you stay too long, he needs his rest."

"I understand, doctor," Gabriella replied with a smile. "I won't be too long." She opened the door to the room and walked in, closing it behind her quietly.

Rinoa couldn't believe it — her father was going to be okay! When the doctor had told them he had bad news, she had thought for sure that... that... he was dead. She wiped at her eyes and realized that there were still tears there from her crying session earlier.

_Just because the medication is working, doesn't mean anything. It could still change. _Rinoa attempted to remind herself. She didn't want to think that her father was going to be okay, just to learn that something horrible had happened or that he was getting worse again. What if the medication only worked to a certain point, before his body became immune to it or just stopped responding all together? She didn't want to think about that, but she had to make herself realize that though things looked better, there were still no guarantees on anything.

For the first time since she had arrived at the hospital, she felt more free to think about something other than her father. The first thing that came to her mind was Squall as he walked past her. What had been wrong with him? He had seemed so concerned when he left her, which was unusual enough, but when he walked by... something didn't seem right. _Maybe I should go find him, after I visit with dad. To apologize for acting the way I did earlier. Even though he probably understands, I... still think I should apologize._

"He's asleep." Rinoa's head shot up and turned to see her stepmother looking at her and Katie. "You can go in now if you like, but he won't respond to anything. I think that you — both of you," She said, looking at Rinoa as well now, "should get something to eat and come back later. You don't have to listen to me," She added, as Rinoa opened her mouth to object. "It's just a suggestion, he'll probably be awake later. I will be leaving the hospital in ten minutes — if you want to leave with me, you'll be at the front entrance at that time." She walked towards the elevator and Rinoa glared at her retreating back. Even when she started off sounding nicer than she had for awhile, she had to end it in a way that drove Rinoa crazy.

"I'm going to go with mom — are you?" Katie asked. Rinoa bit her bottom lip and thought about it. The last thing she wanted was to be in a car with her stepmother right now.

"No, I'll stay here. You — go ahead and see dad, so you can get back in time to meet her in the parking lot. I'll go to the cafeteria, and I'll... see you at home. There's your coffee, by the way." Rinoa added, pointing to the cup next to where Katie was sitting. Katie reached over and grabbed it.

"Thanks." She said, and Rinoa knew she wasn't just thanking her for the coffee. She nodded, and turned and walked down the hallway into the elevator.

—

When the elevator doors opened up on the main floor, Rinoa headed straight for the cafeteria. She saw that Nico and Laguna were sitting at a table talking with one another. She grabbed a tray and put some food on it and walked up to the person at the cash register to buy it. Once she had purchased her food, she walked over to the table that Nico and Laguna were sitting at.

"May I join you?" She asked, feeling suddenly shy. When she was in Balamb with them, she was a part of their home – she had no choice but to sit with them, talk to them. Here, where she had grown up and near those who had raised her, she felt separated from them. It seemed odd suddenly joining them again.

"Of course!" Nico exclaimed, as Laguna motioned at the chair. Rinoa smiled and sat in the unoccupied chair, setting her tray down on the table. "So, did you hear anything about your father?" Nico asked gently.

"He's doing better, they said his condition was getting worse so they changed his medication, and he's responding pretty well to it." Rinoa replied tonelessly. She picked up her plastic fork and poked at the food on the plate, not really feeling very hungry.

"Did Squall ever find you?" Laguna asked, taking a sip of his coffee. Rinoa looked up from her plate.

"Uh, yeah, why?" She asked, finally deciding to start eating her salad at least.

"Well, he was going to go look for you and we told him to go on ahead without us. Figured he'd want to be alone," Laguna added with a wink.

"Laguna!" Nico scolded, elbowing him in the side. Laguna keeled over a bit, holding his stomach.

"Ow — what was that?... Oh." He seemed to realize whatever it was that Nico was trying to convey to him and smiled at Rinoa, pretending nothing had happened.

"...why would he want to be alone?" Rinoa asked. Laguna opened his mouth, but one glance from Nico and he was silenced.

"Why would who want to be alone?" Rinoa jumped at the sound of an all-too familiar male voice and turned to see Squall standing behind her.

"No one..." Rinoa muttered, looking back down at her plate. Squall sat in the only other unoccupied chair, which happened to be right next to Rinoa. _Great..._ She didn't know why she felt so nervous. Maybe it was because her mind was more free to think about whatever she wanted, and Squall seemed to be included in that category.

"What was the doctor saying?" Squall asked suddenly, turning back to Rinoa. She gave him a blank look. "When I walked by — he was talking to you and your stepmother." _So he did notice me there. Then why did he act as if he didn't see me? Maybe he was just distracted or upset about something._

"He told us that my dads condition was worse than they thought, but that... they switched his medication. It had possibilities of some minor side affects and more serious side affects, but... it's better than no improvement." Squall nodded and watched her for a moment longer. When Rinoa turned to look at him questioningly, he turned away, almost seeming embarrassed.

Rinoa finished eating her salad and took a bite out of a piece of chicken. She noticed that Laguna was eying Squall oddly.

"So, you think he'll be okay?" Squall asked quietly, not meeting her gaze.

"I hope so — it seems like the worst is over, as long as the medication keeps working."

"So, how much longer do you think you'll have to stay?" There seemed to be another message underneath what Squall had said — and Rinoa suddenly realized for the first time he was talking comfortably to her in front of other people — even weirder that he wasn't embarrassed it was his family.

"They said he'll probably be in the hospital another week, if the medication works out okay." She realized suddenly the question he had never voiced, but was really asking — would she have to stay here? _Would it bother you that much if I did, Squall? _She saw that he looked somewhat relieved by her answer — a week, after all, wasn't forever. _You're so confusing! Why can't you just say what you're thinking, what you feel... if you feel anything. _Rinoa finished eating and took a drink of the bottled water she had bought.

"Did you get to see your father?" Nico asked, before Squall could ask another question. Rinoa shook her head.

"He was asleep, and since Katie was leaving with my stepmother to go home, I let her go first. Which reminds me — you guys don't have to stay, if you don't want to. I'm only going to go see him for a few minutes and then just... I don't know, walk around Deling for a bit, I guess."

"You sure you don't want us to stay with you, Rinoa?" Nico asked, as she got up and grabbed her coat. "We wouldn't mind."

"No, it's fine, I'll just be a few minutes and then walk around. Really, I'll be fine." She added reassuringly as Nico opened her mouth to object.

"Can I stay with you?" Rinoa turned slowly and saw Squall close his eyes, seeming to regret blurting that out. Nico and Laguna backed away from them, very obviously trying to give them some privacy. Rinoa turned back to Squall and smiled.

"I don't know..." She replied slowly. "I mean, if you just want to hang out because your parents told you to, or because you feel bad for me... then I really don't think you should stay. But if you actually _wanted _to hang out with me, just to hang out..." She trailed off and saw Squall looked absolutely mortified. She tried to stifle the laugh that threatened to come out, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. She started laughing and bent over, holding her stomach.

"Are... are you _laughing _at me?" Squall asked incredulously.

"Oh, I'm sorry Squall! It's... just... you looked..." Rinoa stopped as words suddenly failed her, and she started to laugh again.

"Whatever," Squall replied, rolling his eyes. "You know, I didn't say that for you to laugh at me." He added. Rinoa stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry, Squall, really. Just... let me go see my dad, and then we'll go. Okay?" Rinoa asked him.

"Yeah, sure... I'll wait outside, at the front entrance." Squall turned around to leave, but Rinoa reached out and grabbed his hand. He stopped walking and turned just enough to stare at her hand embracing his.

"Squall? Thanks... for everything." Rinoa looked up and saw that Squall was now facing directly ahead. She rolled her eyes and pulled him towards her. Surprised, he turned around and stared back at her, confusion obvious on his face. Rinoa let go of his hands and stretched her arms out, pulling him close to her and hugging him tightly. She was surprised when she felt his arms wrap around her, holding her close.

They stayed like that for a moment, and Rinoa didn't dare say anything. She was afraid if she did, Squall would realize what he was doing and pull away from her. At the moment, that was the last thing she wanted. She felt loved (even though she thought Squall far from loved her) and comforted.

Sighing, she pulled away. "I don't get you." She said after awhile. "One minute, you can't stand me, the next..." She trailed off. Squall shrugged, clearly not knowing what to say. "I'll be back soon, okay?" She said softly. Squall nodded, looking away from her. Rinoa smiled and began heading towards the elevator. When she entered it and pushed the floor number for her fathers room, she saw Squall heading out the front entrance to the parking lot.

_Squall... I'd give anything for you to care about me, in any way. Sometimes... I think you do already. Why do you have to be so complicated and difficult to understand?_

When the elevator doors opened, Rinoa began walking down the hallway towards her fathers room. The door was open just a crack. One glance inside told her that there was nobody inside but her father.

She opened the door and closed it quietly behind her. Her father was awake, though barely. He seemed very drowsy from the drugs he was on, but he recognized her and motioned for her to sit next to him.

"Daddy," Rinoa whispered. "How... are you feeling?" He smiled at her and reached out to grab her hand.

"Sore," He admitted with a bit of a laugh. His voice was raspy still, but it sounded stronger than the last time they had spoke. "But I've been worse. I thought you weren't going to visit me," He said after awhile.

"Why on earth would you think that?" Rinoa asked, surprised. "Of course I'd visit you! I just went down to the cafeteria to eat with Nico and Laguna."

"You enjoy staying with them?" Her father asked. Rinoa nodded slowly.

"It was a bit strange at first, but I was excited to be in a new place, and... I've made friends." The images of Selphie, Zell and Quistis floated around in her memory. And Squall...

"I'm glad. I've called my lawyer — he'll be here in two days, and I'll sign guardianship over to Nico and Laguna for if I ever..." He trailed off and smiled weakly. There was no need to finish the sentence.

"Daddy? I... I've missed you." Rinoa told him, staring down at him. It was the most honest thing she'd said about their relationship for the longest time. She didn't mean she missed him while he was out — she missed him, the _real _him — the one who believed her, believed in her, and cared about her unconditionally.

_Maybe, he always did. I just never really gave him much of a chance before._

**A/N**: Want to know the truth? I was completely, one hundred percent, DEAD SET on killing Rinoa's father off. I decided it from the fourth chapter of this story, then changed my mind, then decided no, I do want to kill him off for story purposes. And now, I've changed my mind again, and this time I can't change it back. I figured out another way to get what I want to happen in future chapters, happen with him still alive. Anyway, I sort of like this chapter just because it's definitely stepping again further and further with Rinoa and Squall's relationship and because I feel Rinoa is getting more closure with her dad. Anyway, R&R! I'll try to update next week.


	35. One Day You'll Know

**A/N**: I originally started this chapter quite awhile, sadly got STUCK AGAIN (I know generally what I want to happen, but not what I want to happen in between that.) So it took a lot longer getting out than I intended and for that I sincerely apologize. Anyway, there's nothing much I can do about it now, other than getting this update out. Oh, and just a **side note**: I put something in here about Rinoa's dad being in intensive care, and when my grandfather was in there we could visit him whenever we wanted because it was more serious (though of course sometimes they'd only let so many in at a time, depending on which part he was in) but when he was in a regular room on a normal level, out of intensive care, we had to wait for regular visiting hours. So, that's what I'm using for this chapter and however many others where her dad is in the hospital.

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty-Five: One Day You'll Know

_(Squall's POV)_

_You are not going insane. _Squall thought to himself. He walked over and sat on one of the benches outside the hospital. _She hugged you, you couldn't exactly push away from her. It would be... mean, considering the fact that she's still obviously upset about her dad. You did what felt... natural... ugh. Who am I kidding. _Squall sighed and put his head down into his hands.

Only a few minutes previously, he had been hugged by Rinoa. Once again, he had found himself not pushing her away, and this time, not even the slightest thought to push her away entered his mind. He was shocked and surprised at first — it had been unexpected — and then... he had wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.

Not only that, he had asked to stay with her — for how long, he didn't even know — and now he was waiting for her. What had gotten into him? When he had gone outside for air after talking to Katie, he had been trying to sort out all of his thoughts. And, worst of all, his parents had heard him asking to stay with Rinoa and felt the need to give them 'privacy'. He had noticed them backing out and he was sure Rinoa had as well. _Privacy... why would I need privacy? It's not as if it was something embarrassing, or... maybe that's who they meant when Rinoa asked why 'he' would want to be alone, was... me. So... she talks about me with my parents when I'm not around?_

Squall lifted his head up and leaned back in the bench. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned or at least slightly flattered — though of course flattery wasn't really something he was used to feeling, and to him seemed closer to nausea than anything.

Worse yet, he had allowed himself to talk to her in front of his parents. It wouldn't have been a big deal if they hadn't kept giving him those weird looks, all smiling and acting all knowing about the situation (whatever the situation might be). He just... found he couldn't stop. _Who would of thought I of all people would have problems with stopping myself from _talking

_Rinoa... God, even saying your name confuses me. If only..._

"Sorry about that, Squall." Squall jumped, startled as he suddenly heard the voice of the person he had just been thinking about. He looked up and saw Rinoa staring down at him, before she finally decided to take a seat next to him. Squall flinched at the sudden closeness and slid away from her a bit on the bench. She gave him a questioning look but didn't say anything.

"It's... okay. So, how was he?" Squall asked quietly. Quiet. His voice always got quiet when she was around it seemed. Or soft, or... _Shut-up! _Squall closed his eyes tightly trying to stop his thoughts.

"He was... okay. I stopped the doctor on the way back, asked how long he would need to be on that medication. They said that particular kind was just for getting rid of the infection, and after that he'd just be on standard pain killers as long as what is necessary. I mentioned about how he was tired, but they said that was probably just the way he was, and not the medicine causing it."

"So... what now?" Squall asked, taking a chance and looking at her. He felt a swooping sensation in his stomach and suddenly wished he had just stared at his shoes instead. Rinoa stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Well, they're moving him out of intensive care, so we have to wait for regular visiting hours now. I guess that means we have until... two in the afternoon." It was still very early in the morning — the sun was finally starting to light up the sky. Two in the afternoon was still so far away... were they going to be hanging out the entire time?

Rinoa slowly started to walk away, and Squall stared after her. In a few moments time, she was turning around and staring at him.

"Aren't you coming?" She asked. Squall stood up and caught up to her.

"Coming where?" He asked her, as she resumed walking. Rinoa smiled at him.

"I haven't figured that part out yet."

* * *

"Oh, we should get breakfast!" Rinoa exclaimed suddenly. Squall looked up at her tiredly. They had walked along the outskirts of Deling at least three times by now, unsure of what they should do. When he had asked if he could stay with her, he had expected that she had some sort of plan as to what she wanted to do in Deling.

He had assumed wrong.

"Sure, breakfast sounds... good." Squall said finally. He still wasn't used to this. They had talked a bit while wandering around, but it still hadn't gotten past the initial awkward stage that they were in. Of course, at least Rinoa had an excuse — her... deeper feelings towards him could be an excuse for any difficulty she may have in talking to him. Him, on the other hand, really had no reason. At least, other than the fact that he wasn't used to talking to anyone.

He could probably ask questions — her interest in music, even. Now that he thought about it, he was surprised to realize he had no idea what kind of music she liked, or anything about her, other than the fact that she was from Deling, her father was an important authority figure in Galbadia, and he had recently been in intensive care.

That, and she happened to live in his house. He wasn't even going to begin exploring THAT idea.

"What are you thinking about?" Squall looked up and realized Rinoa had stopped walking, and was staring up at him. He shrugged.

"...nothing." He said after awhile, continuing to walk. Rinoa rolled her eyes, and jogged in front of him before stopping and putting her hand out to stop him from going any further.

"You know, I can tell when you're getting lost in your own little world. When you think, you have a tendency to frown like this..." She trailed off momentarily mimicking his expression, "— and aside from getting extremely quiet, you also tend to stare in one direction for a really long time." Squall crossed his arms and looked off to the side. He really had to stop being so predictable — it could be extremely infuriating.

"I was just..." Just what? Thinking about her? There was _no way _he would be admitting that one anytime soon. "Wondering where exactly you were taking me. You've been very vague." He added. It hadn't been a total lie – though that hadn't been exactly what he had been thinking of at the moment, it was still in general something he had thought recently.

"Well... to be honest, I'm not really sure. I was kind of hoping we might pass some place that would stand out, but... well, since we haven't walked into any restaurants, you can probably guess that there hasn't exactly been any places that screamed out to me."

"...what about there?" Squall asked, pointing to a restaurant that everyone else walking along the sidewalks seemed to be passing. Rinoa smiled.

"Perfect!" She said, heading towards it. Squall frowned — what exactly had he gotten himself into?

* * *

"...how can you NOT like chocolate chip pancakes?" Rinoa asked as they left the restaurant, sounding clearly astonished. Squall smirked slightly, and turned his head away in hopes that she wouldn't notice. Rinoa had ordered chocolate chip pancakes — which was apparently not only her favourite, but also the breakfast special for that day.

"— I don't really like pancakes." Squall admitted. Rinoa stared at him, shock evident on her face.

"— I don't think we can be friends anymore." She said, sounding as serious as he was sure she could manage. Squall rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure my heart will be broken." He muttered sarcastically. Rinoa watched him in fascination.

"A joke. An actual joke. It may not be the first, but..." She trailed off and Squall rolled his eyes.

"Fine. No more jokes." Squall said. _...I take back what I thought earlier. I'd much rather have her not talking than teasing me. _

"I'm only kidding, Squall. Well... only somewhat." Rinoa added as an afterthought. They continued walking, still unsure of their destination. "Hey, Squall?" Rinoa asked suddenly. Squall stopped walking and turned towards her.

"...yeah?" She suddenly looked very vulnerable.

"Would you come somewhere with me?" She asked him quietly. Squall stared at her, confused.

"Isn't that... what I'm doing right now?" He asked her. She smiled faintly and shook her head.

"I meant... somewhere important to me. I haven't been there for a long time." She looked down at the ground sadly, and Squall, not used to dealing with this sort of situation, awkwardly put his hand on her arm.

"Sure. Where are we going?" He asked softly. Rinoa pointed towards a hill off in the distance. It was where Deling began to transition to the more rural areas.

"My... my mother's grave. The cemetery where she is buried is just past that hill. You... sure you don't mind coming with me?" _Her mother's grave? Of course... she must be missing her mother a lot, after she thought she nearly lost her dad. _Squall nodded.

"I'm sure. Let's go." He began walking forward, but stopped upon realizing Rinoa had not followed him. She was still staring up at the hill, standing in the same spot. He looked at the hill again, before turning to her and reaching for her hand. "Come on," He said gently. Once she started to walk with him, he immediately released her hand. She glanced at him for a moment, but didn't seem to pay too much attention to it as they continued to walk in silence.

Squall had lost his own mother before he had ever really gotten to know her. He knew that it could be difficult, yet he didn't know... what he could say to Rinoa that would help. Everything he had done today, every action he made and everything he had been thinking, was all new to him.

Did she expect him to say something? Was she waiting for him to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be okay? _Maybe that's what she wants, but... I can't lie. I don't know anything for sure._ _And besides, I don't know what to say. If she's looking for someone to comfort her and offer advice, she's asking the wrong person. I can't do any of that stuff. There's really... nothing I can do for her. That shouldn't bother me — I've never really wanted to do anything for anyone._

They climbed up the hill, and Squall saw at the bottom of it was the cemetery that Rinoa had spoke of before. He glanced at her, and was surprised to see there were no tears in her eyes. Though she looked sad, she wasn't going to cry. He felt relieved — he had seen her cry before, and it was always awkward for him, knowing he was expected to do something, anything, but not really understanding the mechanics behind that desire. Why did people want to be comforted? How did it really help them?

"You'd think that when I lived here, so close to her grave, that... I would have come more." Rinoa said, finally breaking the silence that had fallen over them. She walked ahead and stopped at one of the gravestones, kneeling down beside it. "Yet... I never really did. Maybe on the anniversary of... that day. But I never came here, and sometimes, I... I feel guilty for that. I should want to — but often, I try not to even think about it. Do... do you think that's wrong? To push it in the back of my mind?" She turned to him, and he knew she wasn't just asking it to get it off her chest — she wanted an answer. _What do you want from me, Rinoa? I... I don't know what to tell you._

"...I don't think it's wrong." He said finally, sighing. "We... all deal with things differently. If that's your way of dealing with your mother's death, then that's the way you have to deal with it." It wasn't much of an answer — it might not even comfort her. But it was all he really knew to say.

"You went to see your mothers grave, that time we went to Winhill, right?" Rinoa asked him suddenly. _Went to Winhill... that seems like ages ago. _

"Yeah. I normally go whenever we're out there. I... normally prefer to be by myself, though. Nico and Laguna either go before, or after I do. But that doesn't mean anything," He added, realizing what she was probably thinking. "Just because I don't have issues going there — I... never really knew my mother. I guess... you didn't know yours that well, either, but you remember things. How she looked, how she acted..." Squall trailed off. All he had was pictures of his mother.

"I'm sorry, Squall." Rinoa apologized. He turned to her, confused.

"...we're at your mothers grave side, you're upset, and you're apologizing to me?" He asked her, confused.

"For... bringing up your mother. I wasn't... thinking, when I..." She shook her head and smiled weakly.

"Don't worry about it. Maybe... some day, I'll... let you come with me to see my mother's grave." He looked away, frowning suddenly. What exactly had made him say that? His mothers grave was something special to him, and the way he acted when he got near it... it was the reason why he had never wanted anyone else around. It embarrassed him to feel so vulnerable. What was he doing, saying that there may be an open invitation for Rinoa to come with him sometime?

"—I'd like that. But only if you really wanted to. Um, Squall? Would you mind... leaving me alone for a couple of minutes?" Rinoa asked him. Squall nodded.

"Sure. I'll be back in ten minutes — but I'll be just over there if you want to leave before then." He walked away, deciding to move as far away as possible from Rinoa. He didn't want to feel like he was invading on her privacy.

**A/N**: Okay... the ending of this was definitely just thrown in randomly. I have no idea how it'll fare with you guys, whether you'll like the way this chapter went or hate it. But it's been awhile since I updated, and I really was just getting stuck towards the second half and the cemetery scene made it a bit easier. Spur of the moment ideas don't always blow up in your face. Though I guess the true indicator of that would be how you guys liked this chapter.

Just a random side note... upon re-playing Final Fantasy VIII, I noticed in the... I can't remember what it's called, the information section where you can check out information regarding locations and some characters, and stuff like that? It actually tells you that Julia Heartilly died in a car accident when Rinoa was 4 (or was it 5?... Can't remember now.) I just saw that for the first time recently — yet when I started this story, I said it was a car accident. I must have read another fanfiction before writing this story that briefly mentioned it, but I thought it was kind of neat regardless. Anyways, R&R, even if you hated the chapter.


	36. Nothing Good Lasts

**A/N**: Well, the last chapter didn't seem to have come across quite as badly as I thought it might, which of course is always good. This update was supposed to come out months ago but I just... got stuck. I found a new method of helping that, though. Reread the first chapter and got an idea and went with it — made the rest of it flow nicely. It'll probably seem forced but hopefully its good anyway. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and has been reviewing this story faithfully. I'm sorry I take so long sometimes.

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix, not me. All characters (unless otherwise mentioned) mentioned in this story belong to them. (Excluding of course my OC's, like Gabriella, Katie, Devin, etc.)

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty-Six: Nothing Good Lasts

_(Rinoa's POV)_

After Squall walked away, Rinoa turned to her mother's grave stone. Her fingers traced the engravings upon the stone, before she covered her face with her hands.

It seemed like forever since she had last seen her mother. She wasn't sure what had made her decide to come to her grave, today of all days. Perhaps all the emotions she had felt with her father being in the hospital made her want to be closer to her mother. She wasn't really sure.

"I miss you so much." Rinoa replied quietly, lifting her gaze to stare at the grave stone again. "I wish... that things were different, and that you could be here." She stared at the passage engraved on her gravestone, reading it over in her mind again and again.

She could hear very faintly the sound of Squall's footsteps retreating, and she realized that he was walking away to give her more privacy. She turned to see where he was going, and noticed that he was walking back towards the town. She frowned for a moment, but forced herself not to think of it.

Now, as she stared at one of the very things that existed as proof of her mothers untimely death, she did not feel dizzy. She did not feel as though she were about to faint, as she had been every time she was confronted with something about her mother. She didn't feel sick, only very sad.

Squall had told her that people dealt differently with the death of a loved one. That, just because he went to see his mothers grave whenever he had the chance, didn't mean she had to. But what if he had only said that to be kind to her, and spare her feelings during a time when she was upset? _That doesn't really sound like Squall... but then again, him offering for me to go with him some day to his mothers grave isn't really like him either. I wonder if he regrets that, now that he's said it? Oh man... even now with Squall giving me privacy, I still can't stay focused on my own mother. _

There had never been much discussion about her mother after her death. Her father had simply told her the truth of what happened — that she was never coming back — and that had been the end of it. He shut himself up in his office a lot, neglecting her quite a bit. She had grown accustomed to it, though she didn't deny resenting him for it at the time and perhaps still holding some of that resentment deep within herself today.

Several minutes later, she stood up and turned around, ready to leave. She had enough time to brood over things she had been ignoring for awhile now. She stopped in her tracks as she saw Squall walking up the hill towards her with flowers. She stared at him questioningly as he passed them to her.

"...thought you might want to put these on her grave stone." He told her quietly. Rinoa opened her mouth to speak, but found she didn't know what to say. She grabbed the flowers gently and turned back to her mothers grave. _Mom... I hope you'll forgive me for not coming here more often when I should have. _She stood up once more and turned to Squall.

"Thank you, Squall. That was... really thoughtful of you. And... I appreciate it." Rinoa thanked him. Squall stood there awkwardly, not saying anything. Rinoa didn't expect him to — it wasn't something he would normally do, and though part of her was confused about his actions, the other part of her thought that it was just his way of doing something kind without having to say anything. He could relate to not having his mother in his life, but he wasn't much of the consoling type. He could try, and she'd appreciate it, but it just wasn't his strong point.

"...uh, you're... you're welcome. Did you want me to leave?..." He asked her awkwardly. Rinoa reached out and grabbed his hand, and she could see that she had momentarily confused him. She smiled slightly and lifted his sleeve back, indicating the watch on his wrist.

"Sorry, I thought it would be quicker than asking. Though... maybe asking would have been less awkward." She added as an afterthought. She saw him shrug in response, and realized that he was telling her the awkward moment would be forgotten. "And I think I'm ready to go — thanks for coming with me." Squall shrugged in response and she didn't push him to answer beyond that.

Squall followed silently beside her as she began walking back towards the city. She wondered what he was thinking about — his own mother, perhaps? _Maybe, _Rinoa thought, _I'll go with him to visit her grave. We could visit Ellone again. I'd like to see her and it would be a good chance to... to talk more. _

Her thoughts again drifted back to her father, sitting in the hospital bed. Was he awake still? She wondered briefly if he had begun the medication the doctor had been telling them about before they had left. Or...

"Rinoa?" Squall's voice pulled her back from her thoughts, and she smiled apologetically at him.

"Sorry. Guess I got caught up in my thoughts. Hey, Squall? Can I ask you something?" She wasn't sure what had made her remember this small memory — she had pushed it to the back of her mind, not giving it a second thought since her dad told her it the day he said she was moving to Balamb. Now, suddenly, she wanted to talk about it.

"I... guess." He said cautiously. He appeared worried — probably expecting some sort of thought provoking question or something he'd rather avoid answering. _Then again, maybe he wouldn't want to answer this. He hasn't brought it up once in all the time I've known him. _

"Before... before I came here, my dad talked a little about your dad. You didn't always live with him, right?" Rinoa asked. _'He also found his son again. There's a story behind that, because his son had been in an orphanage.' _She remembered her father telling her.

"No, I didn't." Squall sighed and turned to face her, no longer walking. "What do you want to know about that? It's in the past — years behind us."

"I just wondered how it was that your father came to find you. My dad never really went much into detail." Rinoa added. They were near a park, and Squall slowly reached for her hand. She was surprised but smiled warmly at him as he guided her into the park. He came to a stop at a large set of swings and sat down on one, leaving the other for her. She sat in it and twisted it around so she was facing him again.

He was staring down at the ground, his foot pushing dirt away from him.

"The first few years I don't really remember much of. The woman that owned the orphanage — Edea Kramer, though we all called her Matron — she told me about it, once, when I woke up in the middle of the night. I couldn't get back to sleep and the bedtime story she told me was about how I had come to live in the orphanage. My mother had died giving birth to me, and there was no record of who my father was. Dad... he was in the Galbadian Army, when he was younger. I'm not entirely sure, but I think that's how he knew your mother. And, probably, your dad as well."

It made sense. Her father had been in the army himself, before he became the General. He had retired when there was no longer any need for him, and when he had wanted to be a bigger part of the 'family'. Right. He had waited until _after _her mothers death to finally care about that — she had hated him for that for a long time before she had come to terms with it.

"Anyway, you already know Ellone isn't my biological sister. She was in the orphanage as well, for a couple of years before she was taken away. When she came back, she had my dad with her. She was excited that she had found him — she had been living with a foster family she hated and when she had found him, he promised to adopt her. I guess she never clued in that he was alive all those years we lived at the orphanage, because she never mentioned it to me."

"So you didn't know about him at all?" Rinoa asked. She pushed herself back on the swing and began swinging back and forth, no longer staring at him as he spoke.

"No. And I wasn't thrilled to find out about him, either. I only recently started calling him dad the past few years. I guess I resented him for me having to live in the orphanage at all."

"But you don't anymore, right?" Rinoa prodded. Squall turned and looked at her, and the intensity of his gaze caused her to look away, embarrassed.

"No." He whispered. He was still staring at her, and Rinoa had no idea what to say or do. What was he thinking? Was this still about his father and his time at the orphanage, or was there something else she wasn't picking up on? Suddenly Squall was fidgeting, appearing very nervous. _He looks cute when he's ner— _

Suddenly all her thoughts were pushed aside — forgotten about, for the moment. He had turned his swing towards her and had reached out to her. His face began moving closer to hers and she froze as she began wondering if this was really happening — was Squall really about to kiss her? The close proximity of his face to hers made her think that, as she felt his breath on her face. She closed her eyes and waited.

"Hey, watch out!" Someone was suddenly shouting. Rinoa's eyes shot open and Squall pushed her swing away just in time for a soccer ball to fly past them — right through the spot she had previously been at. She cursed silently at the timing.

"We should... probably go." Squall murmured. Rinoa turned to him and frowned.

"Yeah, sure." She muttered. _So much for that moment. And I really thought he might..._ Sighing, Rinoa stood up and started to walk away. Squall didn't get up to follow her, and after taking several steps, she turned around and looked back at him. He was staring at her and looked away when he realized she had noticed. "You not coming?" She asked him playfully.

"Rinoa..." His tone was suddenly very serious, and Rinoa knelt down on the ground in front of him — he was still sitting on the same swing. "I'm... sorry. Before, I... I think I wanted — but I can't." He looked at her then and she realized he was scared.

"It's okay — I'll never make you do anything. But Squall... I have to know. Do you li— no. Do you think you'll ever... ever see me as more than a friend?" The question that had been on her mind since she realized she had liked him was finally out there.

Squall stared back at her, as if he had expected this question to come. She could see him thinking — trying to figure out how to answer her question.

"I... I have no reason not to. Aside from it being unlike me, that is." He suddenly wasn't looking at her and she wondered fleetingly what he was hiding from her.

She decided not to push it, and sat back down on the swing next to him.

"Give me a push?" She asked him sweetly. He stared at her.

"You're joking, right?"

"No! Come on, please?" She begged. With a sigh, Squall got up and stood in front of her. He put his hands beneath hers, grasping the chains on the swing. Rinoa moved her legs out of the way and Squall was pushing her swing up as high as he could.

"I'll never do this again if you hit me," He warned her. With that said, he ducked under her and was standing behind her. When her swing came back, he began pushing her higher. "I can't believe you wanted a push." He muttered.

"Maybe it wasn't about the push. Maybe it was about the person giving it!" She retorted, sticking her tongue out — even though she knew he couldn't exactly see. She didn't feel the pressure of his hands on her back when her swing returned to him, and she craned her neck to see him frozen in place. "Hey, Squall... I was only teasing. I didn't mean anything by it." She tried to reassure him.

"But you did, didn't you?" He asked quietly. Rinoa dropped her feet on the ground, stopping her swing. She twisted around to face him.

"What do you mean? I said I was teasing, didn't I?" She didn't get why he was acting so strange suddenly.

"I know you like me!" He blurted. Rinoa looked up at his face, horrified. How could he know? Had he figured it out — had she really been that obvious?

"How did you know?" She whispered. Squall looked away guiltily.

"I... overheard you. In your sleep. Its not like that!" He said suddenly — he had seen the expression on her face. "You fell asleep, at the hospital. I was going to leave but then..."

"Since I fell asleep at the hospital? You've known all this time and... and I... I thought you wanted this. To be around me. But you were just trying not to hurt my feelings because you _knew._" Everything he had done — offering to hang out with her, hugging her — it was all an act. All just to keep from hurting her. It was a nice gesture but all Rinoa felt was humiliated.

"No! Its not like that! Rinoa, I want to be—"

"Just forget it! I'm humiliated enough as it is, just... just _go._" Her last words came out as a harsh whisper. Squall looked as though she had slapped him. How could such a great day turn so drastically into a bad one?

"Fine." He said coldly. "If that's what you want."

The moment he began to walk away, Rinoa set free the tears she had been holding back. She wasn't quiet, but she didn't care. If Squall could hear her, he didn't turn around.

_Squall... I'm sorry. But the Squall Leonhart I know doesn't fall in love. Friends is all we'll ever be and I... I've already ruined that._

**A/N**: Yeah, this update is long overdue and all I can do is apologize for that. Aside from being stuck on it, I have no excuses. Dunno how I feel about this chapter. Part of me loves it, part of me hates it. Hopefully I'm not rushing anything with Squall and Rinoa – maybe that fight at the end was my insecurities about that coming out xD

Either way, it is what it is. I hope you don't hate me too much for taking so long. Next chapter, if it makes you feel better, is Squall's perspective — you get to find out if he really WAS going to kiss her! Though its probably obvious. R&R - even if its only to tell me you hate me xD


	37. All I Need

**A/N**: I started this update right after I updated the last chapter, with the futile hope that I might actually finish it early. Think I can do it? Haha, only time will tell. Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and who waited patiently (don't know how you did it!) For an update. R&R!

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Chapter Title**: The title of this chapter came from the song All I Need by Within Temptation. I just happened to be listening to it and thought that it might be suitable for this chapter. So, yeah, apparently song titles are being used for some of my chapters now as well. So much for creativity xD

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty-Seven: All I Need

_Squall's POV_

Squall cursed loudly as he realized that once again, he was lost in Deling. He had thought that after walking around the city so many times with Rinoa, that he might finally know where everything was — or at least where _something _was.

_Rinoa... why do you have to do this to me? I'm so sick and tired of being confused, of thinking constantly. I don't even like thinking anymore. What's the point? I have no control over my thoughts anymore — they always lead to you, eventually. Was I... really going to kiss you? I wanted... I actually wanted to, I think. _

"I'm a moron." Squall muttered darkly. "The one good thing I have going and I still find a way to screw it up." _And now I'm talking to myself. _

He had figured out that Rinoa was upset that he had known about her feelings, and hadn't voiced his opinion on them or told her that he knew. Well, of course he hadn't. _That _would be awkward. And if he hadn't opened his fat mouth — something he never thought he would have a problem with — she still wouldn't know. He could have let on like it had just happened, like he was being brave and taking a chance. _I guess that makes me a coward — I can't act on any feelings I may have unless I know for a fact it'll be received well from the other person. But... its not as if I have experience with this sort of thing. God, what was I even thinking? _Kissing _**Rinoa!?**_ _She's... just the girl that lives with my family. _

Or, had lived with their family. Nothing was set in stone anymore — her father still had legal guardianship. Rinoa seemed to have patched things up with him — they were on better speaking terms, something that had come as a result of his life endangering accident. Maybe she'd want to stay in Deling, especially now that she was angry at Squall.

"Squall?" Squall stopped walking when he heard a voice behind him. He turned around and saw Rinoa's stepsister behind him, giving him the same confused look he was sure he had on his own face. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Rinoa."

"I — was. She wanted to be alone." He saw the expression on her face. "She went to her mothers grave." He briefly explained. It wasn't a lie — it could easily be a reason for her to want to be alone. Katie seemed to understand and didn't push him for any other kind of answer. He was grateful for that — the last thing he wanted was to be interrogated by someone he didn't know.

"You look kind of lost. I was in the café, across the street. I'm pretty sure I saw you walk by at least three times already." She added lightly. Squall groaned. Not only did he think he was a moron, but anyone else who had noticed him walking around in circles probably did as well.

"I guess I am."

"Come on, I'm heading back to the house anyway."

Thankfully, she didn't speak again for the rest of the way to the mansion. Hopefully, whatever infatuation she had seemed to have when he first met her was gone. He didn't need more complications in his life, and he could see that Rinoa and her stepsister were starting to get along better now. If he ruined _that _for them, he could kiss his chances with Rinoa goodbye.

Chances with Rinoa? What did that even mean? That he wanted to be with her after all? _I can't want that. That's not like me. To actually crave any kind of relationship with another individual. _

He didn't know what had come over him earlier. All she had done was asked about the orphanage — but he had hated it there. Mostly after Ellone had been taken away. When he began telling her, he suddenly realized she was the only other person he had ever confided in aside from Ellone. Blood relation or not, Ellone was his sister — he had known her since he was little. He was expected to be able to confide in her. But Rinoa he had known for such a short amount of time — even though it felt like forever — and already he felt he could tell her the same things he could tell Ellone. And Rinoa was _definitely _not his sister.

"If you just take this path here, it'll practically lead you right to the mansion." Katie said suddenly, breaking the silence. Squall looked at where she indicated and suddenly felt stupid. He was sure he had passed by this spot several times in the past thirty minutes. _And I probably didn't notice because I was too caught up in figuring out what I had done to upset Rinoa. _

"Thanks." Squall murmured. His mind went back to his earlier thoughts. One minute he had been talking about the orphanage, and the next... words had suddenly failed him. She was listening to intently to what he had to say as if she were really interested. Like she really cared to know. And suddenly, all he wanted to do was somehow show her how he felt — how confused he was about it, and scared. He had probably gotten that point across fine, until the point when he made her think he was just bothering with her out of pity. _Pity. _How could she even think that? He had been slowly opening up to her before they even came to Deling. Had she really not noticed? Had her feelings blinded her so much?

They were walking up the driveway now, and Katie (thankfully) walked away, leaving Squall alone. When he went to walk into the mansion, he suddenly heard Nico calling him. He glanced and saw that she was sitting with Rinoa's stepmother on the patio. He walked over slowly, dreading whatever questions she had. He was sure at least one of them would be about Rinoa.

"Where's Rinoa, honey?" She asked him kindly. He wanted to slam his fist into the wall — did everyone have to assume Rinoa would be with him? _Calm down... she was there when you asked Rinoa if you could hang out with her, remember? _Squall sighed and shrugged.

"Don't know." He said simply. He noticed Gabriella turn her icy stare to him.

"What do you mean, you don't know? Were you not just with her?" She asked. She tried to force a pleasant tone in her voice, but he saw how fake it was — she didn't like him very much, that was obvious.

"She went to see her mothers grave and wanted to be alone." He replied back coolly. Nico cleared her throat to break the tension that had fallen over them.

"That's fine, sweetheart. Did you have fun?" What was with all the politeness? The 'cute' nicknames and sudden interest in his life. Nico was nice — he had nothing bad to say about her — but it seemed different, somehow. He suddenly realized what she was getting at. He had noticed how she had forced his father to back away when he began talking to Rinoa. How she had been trying to give them privacy.

"It was fine." He said quietly.

"Did you get breakfast while you were out?" Nico asked curiously. Squall smiled slightly, remembering the argument Rinoa had with him over his breakfast preferences.

"Yes. Can I go now?" He asked. Nico smiled.

"Sure, your fathers in the house on the phone but I think he wanted to talk with you." Nico told him pointedly. Squall sighed — another interrogation? Joy.

He could feel Rinoa's stepmother glaring daggers into his back as he walked away, but he ignored it. He wouldn't have to be around her much longer, he hoped. It didn't take long for him to find his father in the lounge, talking on the phone. Squall leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and waited.

"We should just be until the end of the week. Yes, Squall will be at school on Monday. Rinoa? I'm not sure yet, it depends on how the situation with her father goes. He's been transferred out of intensive care so we can only hope that means he is getting better. I'll be sure to tell her that. Thank you. Goodbye." Squall frowned — his father had been talking about him and Rinoa.

"Was that the school?" Squall asked. His father nodded.

"Yes, they called to check in. I told them you'd be returning to school on Monday. Rinoa... well, hopefully she can come back then as well."

"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" Squall asked suddenly. His father suddenly seemed nervous, as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Ahh, no, not exactly... it... may not be any of my business, but you seem pretty close to Rinoa." Oh. _No. _Not **this **conversation — not now.

"So?"

"So I was just wondering if you had anything you wanted to... talk about." The last words were forced. There was obviously something on the mans mind — Squall could only consider him a possible lunatic for trying to talk to him about _feelings _and emotions.

"No." _Please just shut up... let me go upstairs. Let me go _anywhere _but here. _

"Rinoa's a sweet girl." His father tried a different direction. _No need to tell me that. _"She's... nice." _You always had a way with words. _

"Are you just going to tell me things I already know?" Squall asked tiredly. His father smiled.

"So you think she's cute?"

"I — what?" Had he missed something?

"I'm only teasing. Which I'm not technically supposed to do... don't tell Nico, okay? She'll have my head."

"Nico knows you were going to have this discussion with me?" He was mortified. They had been _talking _about him... in regards to Rinoa... together? Planning this discussion, probably talking about how it was cute that he was finally showing an interest in someone — ANYONE — other than his family? _Oh God... _

"Well, it was more her idea than —"

"I'm out of here. I'll talk to you later, dad." No _way_ was he going to stick around for his dad to start giving him advice. Or, worse, reminiscing from his childhood about _his _first gir—

_Except Rinoa's not my girlfriend and he'd be wasting any advice he'd try to give me. _

"Squall? Wait." Squall stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to look back at his father. "Be nice to Rinoa, okay?" Whatever had caused his father to say that, he didn't really care. All he knew was that he had caused Rinoa enough confusion and pain already — how would his dad feel if he knew that? Nico would murder him. _No, _Squall thought, _not murder. Just beat into a coma with a frying pan. Or something else equally painful. _

"I... will." Squall turned and walked quickly up the stairs before his father could go on to say anything else.Once he got upstairs, he headed immediately for the room he was staying in.

He had to figure out a way to apologize to Rinoa. Even if... he wasn't entirely sure why she was so mad. If she'd give him a chance to explain and hear him out, he could tell her that her assumptions were wrong.

But then what? Explaining and making her see that he wasn't bothering with her out of pity, would only bring him back to his earlier dilemma.

"I don't know what I'm doing." Squall groaned, burying his head into the pillow on his bed. What was he doing? Sitting around, acting like a teenager who had just been dumped. Though, in a way, he supposed he had. Not the traditional sense, but nothing about this situation had occurred the way it did for normal people.

He heard the sound of footsteps and realized they had stopped just outside of his room. He waited for them to knock on the door or say anything — probably Nico coming to see just what exactly his father had said to him, and to make sure he hadn't messed up so badly that Squall was locking himself in the room. Not that he could anyway.

A gentle knock came from the other side of his door. He decided to ignore it — he didn't feel like going through another embarrassing parent/son discussion about relationships.

"Squall?" He froze — that wasn't Nico's voice. Though he could be mistaken, it sounded like...

"Rinoa." He whispered. He got up and opened the door, and saw her standing in the doorway. She stared down at the ground.

"Can I come in?" She asked quietly.

"Yes!" He quickly shut his mouth — he was sounding too enthusiastic, too happy. It was freaking him out.

"I'm sorry." They both blurted at the same time. Rinoa started to laugh, crouching over and holding her stomach. Squall rolled his eyes but smiled.

"I... I do enjoy..."

"Yes?" Rinoa pushed, sitting down on the bed next to him. He cleared his throat and swallowed.

"I wasn't hanging out with you out of pity. It had nothing to do with what... I overheard. And I just never brought it up, because, well..."

"It was awkward?" Rinoa finished for him. He nodded.

"Something... like that." Not any more awkward than it was right now. She was sitting so close to him, he couldn't think straight.

"I'm sorry I didn't let you explain. Can I... ask you something?" She pulled her knees up close to her body and leaned her head against them, looking right at him.

"Yeah."

"Does it... bother you?" She asked him. He stared back at her blankly. "The crush... thing." Squall looked away from her.

"I don't know anymore."

**A/N**: How could I leave it at such an evil spot, right? That's what you're all thinking. The answer... I am a horrible, horrible, evil person. Its true. I steal candy from babies and I break the other kids toys ALL THE TIME. Haha, all joking aside, I dunno how I feel about the end of this chapter but I'll leave the judging up to those reading and enjoying this story. R&R and thanks to everyone who has already reviewed the last chapter.


	38. Stop And Say You Love Me

**A/N**: My original intention was to begin working on my other FFVIII fanfictions, upload a chapter for them (and there is only currently two, though I have plans for at least three others in the future!) And then come back to this one. And do you think I could do that? Nope. I have a chapter nearly done for _Set Me Free_, but I'm not sure if things are moving too quickly with it or not so I haven't finished it up yet. And I have a chapter started with _Only Hope_, but I haven't worked on it for awhile. Quite the writer, aren't I? Never finish what I start all at once xD

Anyway, thanks to **everyone** who reviewed the last chapter, your reviews mean a lot and its good to know you guys are still hanging on to this story! I'll try to make this chapter a _little _less evil. Maybe. Hehe, no promises!

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Stop And Say You Love Me

_Rinoa's POV_

She stared at him and noticed how he would no longer look at her. He was avoiding eye contact entirely, and when she looked down, she saw his hands were shaking. It was so slightly, that if it had been anyone but her, it may have gone unnoticed. She took a deep breath, contemplating. Finally, she slowly reached out to his hands. She grabbed one and held it, squeezing it gently. Squall was finally watching her, and the shy look on his face made her heart ache.

"Squall..." She whispered. She stared down at his hand in hers, and ran her fingers gently over the back of his hand. She looked back up at his face and saw that he was watching her, curiously. She smiled reassuringly at him and he looked away. "I... really like you." She whispered sadly.

"I... know." The words sounded like they caught in his throat, and Rinoa looked up at him. He was staring at her now, not looking away this time. She was the first to break away from their eye contact, and she sighed, staring at the ground. "Rinoa..." He moved closer to her, and she felt her heart skip a beat. This time, she was sure that no one would interrupt them. She reached her free hand up and ran it through his hair as she pulled his face closer to hers. Their lips had barely just touched when there was a knock at a door. Squall sighed and Rinoa mentally screamed in frustration. She nuzzled her head against his shoulder.

"Yeah?" He called out, his voice cracking.

"Gabriella is taking us out for lunch — let Rinoa know when she gets back in, alright?" It was Nico on the other side of the door.

"S-sure." Squall said. "No problem." Rinoa silently prayed that Nico wouldn't try to come in the room — and for once, her prayers were answered. The sound of Nico walking further away from the room down the hall could be heard, and she sighed with relief. She lifted her head up and saw that Squall was looking down at her.

"Squall..." She began, but she was given no chance to speak. Squall's lips met her own, and this time, there were no interruptions — maybe that was the point of him cutting her off. Perhaps he was equally as sick of the interruptions as she was. She didn't know — and at the moment, she didn't particularly care. All that existed was this moment, something she had thought about and dreamt about since she had realized her feelings for Squall. Never had she thought he would return her feelings. And though he hadn't said anything to confirm that, the kiss was enough.

Finally, he pulled back away from her, his eyes wide and refusing to meet her questioning glance. She reached out for him, but he pushed her hand away. _Squall... please... _

"Don't push me away." She said quietly. He turned to her, confused. "You push everyone away, Squall. _Everyone. _Look at your life! Do you have anyone aside from your sister you can truly confide in? Anyone you call a friend? You're alone because you push everyone away, and all I want... is to be there. To be there for you. Can't you see that?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have— kissed you." He muttered, ignoring what she had said. She moved away from him.

"You're wrong, Squall. For once, you acted on how you felt — you didn't hold back your feelings. How can you think that's wrong?" She wasn't asking the question just to force him to think about the answer. She honestly didn't know. He looked at her sadly.

"Because I don't know how I feel. How can I act on how I feel, when I don't know what my feelings are? Rinoa, you're... you're different than anyone I've ever met. You see the best in everyone and..." He trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished. She risked reaching out to stroke his cheek and he didn't pull away from her touch.

"And what, Squall?" She asked softly.

"I'm afraid of what you'll see if I let you get too close." He closed his eyes tightly, and Rinoa realized how afraid he really was.

"I see someone I want to get to know inside out." She told him. His eyes opened and she took advantage of his surprise by leaning in to kiss him again. She felt greedy, afraid that he would soon close back up inside of his shell and leave her alone again. When she pulled away, she pressed her face against his cheek.

"You don't have to be afraid." She told him. "I won't hurt you — I couldn't. Tell me... tell me how you feel." She pleaded. _I need to hear you say it, Squall. Please... tell me you love me. Or like me. Or... anything. _

"I... know how my dad thinks I feel," He said suddenly. She saw him smiling at her and realized he wasn't ready to come out and say how he felt. She decided not to push it, and smiled back.

"Oh?"

"I think Nico made him talk to me. He wanted to know if there was anything I wanted to talk to him about. In regards to... _us._" He looked away from her at the last word and she sighed.

"Is there an 'us', Squall?" She asked carefully. He suddenly kissed her on the forehead and rest his head against hers.

"Do we have to figure this out right now?" He asked her quietly.

"Not if you aren't ready to." She told him finally. They sat there like that for several more moments before Rinoa jumped up to her feet. "Come on! We still have a couple hours of fun left before visiting hours start. What do you want to do?" She asked him. She was giving him the choice of choosing what they did — last time, she hadn't had a clue what to do and they had wandered around aimlessly for several hours before finally working anything out.

"I don't know. You're the one who lives here — what did you do for fun?" He asked, getting up and following her out of the room. She reached for his hand and smiled when he didn't pull away. Of course, there probably wasn't anyone around to spot them that he would care about — with her stepmother taking Nico and Laguna out.Katie could be there, but she would hopefully allow them their privacy. _And Sammy is probably with Gabriella, or else she would have gotten _me _to babysit. _

They reached the bottom of the stares and she lead him into the living room. She figured, why not watch a movie? They'd explored the city and found nothing interesting going on.

"I didn't really do that much for fun." Rinoa told him, as she let go of his hand to browse through their movie collection. He leaned against the wall next to her, his arms crossed.

"You? Not do much for fun? I find that hard to believe." He wasn't being mean — only teasing. She shrugged her shoulders, as she passed a movie to him to check out.

"It's true. I had a lot of problems here. I never told you about why I came to live with your family, did I?" She asked. Squall frowned.

"I don't remember."

"I obviously didn't get along with my step-family. My dad never believed me... and I lost a lot of friends. All of them, actually." She admitted. "I stopped going out. I stayed in my room a lot. And I missed a lot of meals because I was constantly getting sent to my room for being mouthy with Gabriella. She wanted me to call her 'mother'." Rinoa said, gritting her teeth. "_No one _will replace my mom. Then one day, my dad just came up to me and told me he was sending me to Balamb to live with a friend of my mothers." She grabbed several more movies and passed them to him. He put the ones he didn't like back on the shelf.

"I'm glad you moved in with us." He said when they moved to sit on the couch. Rinoa smiled at him.

"I'm glad too. It was a lot of fun." She told him sincerely. The movie began playing and they fell silent. She noticed partway through it that Squall seemed to be paying more attention to her than the movie. It made her nervous — knowing he had some kind of feelings for her should have increased her confidence, but she felt more nervous than before. Like she might do something to make him change his mind. She still wasn't sure how serious his feelings were.

After awhile, she had the urge to lean against Squall and snuggle against him. She was unsure how he would react to such an action though, and mentally debated in her mind. Squall solved her conflict for her when he slowly put his arm around her. It wasn't done the way some guys did it — pretending to yawn and putting their arm down around the girl. Squall was taking small steps with her, wanting so bad to be what she wanted.

At some point, Rinoa must have fallen asleep, because when her eyes fluttered open, the movie was turned off and Squall was gently nudging her awake. She smiled at him and saw the clock on the wall behind him — it was time to head for the hospital and visit with her father.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Squall asked, as Rinoa stretched and stood up.

"I don't know — do you feel up to coming with me? I have no idea how long it will be." She added. He walked with her to the door and put his shoes on.

"Might as well. And... I can always leave when I want." When they walked outside, he walked close to her but did not reach for her hand like he had in the past. She ignored this — he probably wasn't ready to publically display his feelings for her. She wondered briefly what he was thinking — was he trying to figure it out? Or had it been pushed to the back of his mind?

"I have to go back to the school next week." Squall said suddenly, tearing her from her thoughts. She stared at the ground. _So soon? But... won't I be going with you? _Squall seemed to guess her thoughts and cleared his throat. "My dad didn't know what the situation would be with you. If... you wanted to stay. Or if your dad would still be in the hospital. But we're really just here to support you, and I don't think the school approves of me missing so much school."

"Oh." Was all she could bring herself to say. She had no way of knowing whether or not her father would be better by then. She was determined that when this was all done, she would return back to Balamb with Squall and his family. There was no way she could not return, not after the friends she had made there and after she and Squall had finally...

She felt a pang of guilt as she realized she hadn't bothered with any of her friends from Balamb much since she had come back home to Deling. She decided she would call them that night — or at least Selphie. She had plenty to tell her friend anyway. _I wonder if Squall would get mad... I'll just have to make sure Selphie keeps quiet about it. I have to tell someone, or I'll explode. _

"I don't have to." Squall said suddenly. "I... can just pick up my work. I can stay, if you want me to." He was trying so hard for her, and Rinoa felt as though she didn't deserve any of it.

"No, its fine, I'll probably be able to go back to school soon too, anyway." She smiled reassuringly at him, but when she looked away, there was a small frown on her face. When she went back to school, would it be in Balamb where she belonged? Or would she get dragged back to Deling. _I won't go. I'll run away. But then... I wouldn't be able to stay with Squall. I'd have to hide. I wonder if... he'll ever care about me so much, that he'd be willing to run with me? _She grew lost in her daydreams of a life on the run, leaving everyone behind but Squall. Could she really ever do that? If it became so extreme she had to?

"What are you thinking about?" He asked her quietly. He had talked more than she had this walk to the hospital, and she suddenly felt guilty.

"Just... about the future." She explained vaguely. He raised his eyebrow, staring at her.

"Us?"

"I thought you said you didn't want to figure out if there was an 'us' or not yet." She told him, sticking her tongue out. "Besides, even if I was, I can daydream. But... no, not that. Not entirely, anyway. I'm just wondering... if I'll be allowed to go back to Balamb." Now that she had voiced her fears, they seemed silly.

"But your dad said he'd sign guardianship over to my parents, didn't he?" Squall asked, suddenly very alert. Rinoa shrugged.

"Sure, since we're getting along. But Gabriella has him wrapped around her finger. He had a momentary lapse when he sent me to Balamb. I'm not sure she'll permit that again. Especially not... now that she knows how much happier there I am. It sounds so cliche, but she really is like a wicked stepmother from a fairy tale."

"Maybe its my fault." Rinoa continued. "I never gave her a chance when I was little. I set a bad first, second... and however many other... impression. Katie loves her to pieces, so she can't be all that horrible. Its just... like I bring out the worst in her."

"You can't blame yourself." Squall reasoned with her. "Some people... clash."

"I guess so." She said unsurely. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, as though she had felt a chill. Why was she being so pessimistic? It was as if she expected the worst to happen. Maybe then, it wouldn't be such a horrible surprise when it did.

**A/N**: So, I'm uneasy about this chapter. It's the first true, hardcore, Squall/Rinoa based chapter with really intimate conversations and sweet moments. I haven't had much — okay, try _none _— experience with that. Aside from what I've read in other FF8 Squinoa fanfictions. So... bear with me if it was dreadful. Though I'd appreciate hearing it was, if you truly thought that.

On that note, I'll mention that the title of this chapter also comes from a song - Stop And Say You Love me by Evans Blue. I started writing the chapter and that song title sort of fit the story. I won't use song titles all the time of course, but its what has been jumping out at me lately and thus what was used. R&R!


	39. Inner Turmoil

**A/N**: Looks like I'm on a bit of an updating rampage, huh? Guess you guys probably don't mind though xD Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story. It may seem like it could be coming to a possible end, to you, buuut I have more in store for this story yet which may make it a fair bit longer yet. We'll see just how much longer that may be as the story progresses, but I'll be sure to let you know when its getting close to its end. I actually have to go back and reread some chapters of when they arrived in Deling to refresh my memory of stuff for the future - hint hint xD — even though you guys will not likely figure it out. Hopefully not all of it, at least. Anyway, enough rambling — on with the chapter!

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Inner Turmoil

_Squall's POV_

_Was this a mistake? _Squall thought, as he glanced over at Rinoa. They were sitting in the chairs outside of her fathers new room in the hospital. Her stepsister and stepmother were inside, talking with the General themselves. Rinoa hadn't wanted to go in with them. She was leaning against his shoulder, looking ready to fall asleep again as she had earlier. _Letting Rinoa get close to me... its one thing to cause myself pain. But to make her suffer... I'll never forgive myself if I hurt her. _

Katie and Rinoa's stepmother suddenly walked out of the room. Rinoa sat up straight as her stepmother stopped in front of her, and Squall nervously moved away from Rinoa.

"Your father is very tired, so he shouldn't be speaking too much. Don't talk loudly." The woman snapped. Squall turned to Rinoa and saw her roll her eyes.

"I'll try." She commented dryly. Her stepmother narrowed her eyes and turned on her heels to leave. Katie smiled faintly before following behind her mother. Rinoa sighed and turned to Squall. She knelt down in front of him. "Did you want to come in with me?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"I don't think it would be right for me to intrude." She stood up and nodded, understanding.

"What are you going to do?" She asked him. _Good question. _

"I'll wait for you."

"Why?" She asked with a smile.

"What else do I have to do?" He froze when Rinoa bent down and kissed him on the forehead. As much as he was beginning to accept this affection from her, it was still foreign to him. Pleasant, enjoyable... but frightening. Whenever she did something like this, he was terrified of doing something to ruin it.

"Thank you, Squall." She whispered, her breath blowing against his face. It was a pleasant sensation — almost tickling. He watched as she walked into the room next to where he sat. Once she was out of sight, he sat back in the seat and sighed.

He had to confront himself about his feelings for Rinoa. He knew he cared about her, at least to some extent — why else would he have kissed her back at the Mansion? Constantly seek her company?

The fact remained, Rinoa didn't just care about him. She really, _really _liked him. Why, he had no idea — in the beginning, when had he ever really been nice to her? Sure, he had never flat out insulted her — and she had always tried to be nice to him.

He remembered how he had been avoiding eating whenever she was around. It wasn't that he exactly _lost _his appetite, as he had told her. It was awkward for him. Eating often encouraged talking, and talking meant bonding with someone outside of his family — something he had worked very hard to avoid up to that point. Yet she had gone out of her way to show him she meant no harm — all she had really done was brought food up to him in his room, his sanctuary of privacy. Yet it was a start, all the same. He even remembered the last time he had talked to Ellone on the phone.

"_Squall! I'm glad you called!" She cried excitedly from the other end of the line. Squall pulled his phone a slight distance from his ear as she shrieked._

"_Hey, Sis." He had been distracted — it was right after he had cooked dinner for Rinoa._

"_You sound funny." She observed suspiciously. He frowned — did he?_

"_Just got a lot on my mind." When did he ever _not _have a lot on his mind?_

"_Rinoa?" Ellone teased. Squall froze._

"_I — what? — NO!" He told her firmly. He heard her laughing on the other end and suddenly regretted calling her. _

"_You don't sound so sure." _I'm not._ "Would it be so bad? You're seventeen years old and still don't show an interest in the opposite sex." And here they went again._

"_There's been no one worth taking an interest in." He told her tiredly. Somehow, his calls with Ellone always ended up turning down this road. He hated it. Why should he be expected to show an interest in the opposite sex? _

"_Until now?"_

"_Until now. — wait... Ellone, that's not!—" He realized too late what he had been tricked into saying and mentally cursed at himself for not paying closer attention. _

"_Gotta go — love you Squall!" Before Squall could say anything, he heard the 'click' on the other end and knew Ellone was already gone. He turned off his cell and was determined he would get her back._

Well, it had turned out that Ellone hadn't exactly been wrong. Rinoa had been on his mind — it seemed she always was. And now, he did have an interest in the opposite sex. In Rinoa. _I need to talk to Ellone. _He looked through the small glass window on the door and saw Rinoa was still busy. Surely she wouldn't notice he was gone? If it was only for a few minutes?

He walked down to a deserted part of the hallway and pulled out his phone. The hospital in Deling was much more advanced than that in Balamb — the cell phone frequency no longer interfered with the hospital equipment.

"Hello?" He heard Ellone say on the other line.

"Hey, Elle. It's Squall." He heard her gasp.

"Squall! Oh, I heard what happened to Rinoa's father! How is he? How's Rinoa?"

"Her father's doing better. He's out of intensive care and on new medication. And Rinoa..." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

"You okay Squall?" Ellone asked, concerned.

"Ellone... I need to ask you something." He was humiliated just thinking about it.

"Oh?"

"I kind of kissed Rinoa." He blurted. He cringed at the sound of his voice — did he have to be so to the point?

"_What!?_ When did this happen? You... really like her? _Really?_" It was obvious this was something she had been waiting for. Something she had even wanted. He made a mental note that he would have to ask her why she was so determined that Squall should like Rinoa.

"Earlier today. And... I don't know how I feel. The last time you and I talked, you thought I sounded strange. Well, I overheard Rinoa talking in her sleep. She said that she... liked me. I... didn't know how to react."

"Well of course she liked you — it was obvious. But Squall, if you kissed her... well, feelings like that don't just appear."

"I'm just worried that... it's my way of handling her feelings for me." He admitted. And that was his greatest fear. He cared about Rinoa to a point — that was for sure. But was it only enough to care that she was happy?

"Squall... do you like being around her? Do you find her easy to talk to?"

"I... guess so."

"She kept talking to you, even when you ignored her. She never gave up on you. And she's not superficial, you've both suffered a great loss in life. Things like that... bring people together. And it brought you and Rinoa together."

"But you did all of that and I see you as my sister who happens to be... kind of like a friend. What if my feelings for Rinoa aren't what she wants them to be?"

"You don't exactly get urges to kiss your sister." She snorted. "Rinoa is special to you. I can't help you figure out how much. But if pursuing a relationship makes you both so happy, what's the harm in that?"

_What's the harm in that..._

—

When he got back to the hallway where Rinoa's fathers room was, he saw that the door was slightly open. He went to get up to close it, but stopped when he heard the voices inside.

"Daddy? What's wrong?" He heard Rinoa's concerned voice. He smiled slightly at the caring tone in her voice.

"I... why am I in the hospital?" Her father asked confused.

"Daddy, you were hurt. Don't you remember?" Rinoa asked him.

"Oh... right. Of course. Of course I remember. Where's your mother?" The man asked. Squall heard the sound of Rinoa's chair scraping across the floor.

"You mean Gabriella? My _step_mother? She just left, she was just in here. Are you alright?"

"I just need some sleep, I think. I'm sorry I'm not much company."

"It's okay, dad. I should go anyway — you just worry about feeling better, okay? Do what the doctor tells you." Rinoa told him softly. Squall quickly sat down in the seat outside the room and pretended he hadn't been listening. Once again, he had intruded on Rinoa's privacy. First overhearing her talk in her sleep, again when he went into her room when he was lost in the mansion, and now this.

"Squall?" He looked up and saw Rinoa staring down at him. He got up and walked with her over to the elevator.

"How was the visit?" He asked her. He pushed the button on the side panel next to the elevator and they stood there waiting. Rinoa leaned against the wall.

"It was fine, at first. But... he started acting almost delusional. He started talking about how it was so nice that Katie and I got along and that I would love my new stepmother. But... she's not new. It was like he was stuck in the past, or something. It was kind of scary. He always remembered after I explained to him, but..." She trailed off and buried her head in her hands. Squall reached out and pulled her close to him in an embrace. She wrapped her arms around him and sighed.

"Maybe he's just a little fevered. Or the medicine could have just kicked in, they probably still have him on a lot of pain medication." It felt so weird, to be making someone feel better and holding them like this. The sensation made him feel dizzy. He gently pushed her away and smiled apologetically.

"Squall, I — thank you. You've really helped me, a lot." The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside silently. They didn't speak again the entire time they were in the elevator.

—

"I'm not giving you a piggy back ride." He told her, his tone final.

"But my shoe broke!" She protested, pointing to her shoe. He looked down and saw the shoelaces missing.

"It's a shoe lace, Rinoa, and you can live without it. Come on, we're almost there." He pointed in the distance at the mansion. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm not going anywhere!" She said. "Not with you. You're _mean_."

"Someone's in a better mood." He commented. "What's the real reason you want a piggy back ride?" She stared at him blankly.

"To... get to the house?" She tilted her head to one side, confused.

"I've seen you walk in bare feet through the mud back at home. I'm sure walking with a loose shoe wouldn't hurt your feeling. So why do you want a piggy back ride?"

"I..." She seemed embarrassed now, and with a sigh Squall knelt down in front of her.

"If we get _one single _comment about this, it'll never happen again." He told her. She got on his back and he lifted her weight up with his arms before standing and walking to the house. "This feels so degrading." He muttered. "I feel like a horse."

"You aren't a very fast one." She commented, looking down at him. He reached up with one hand to swat at her. "Hey! Don't let go! I could fall!"

"You act like such a little kid sometimes. How is it that I put up with you?" He asked her. _Not that it really bothers me that much. Anymore, at least. The only reason I didn't want to her a piggy back ride is because I don't want dad or Nico seeing. That would be a humiliating explanation in the making. And yet... _

"Watch out for that branch!" Rinoa shouted. Squall ducked down to avoid her being knocked off.

_I always feel like I want to make her happy._

**A/N**: Okay, that was a chapter to sort of introduce you to where Squall is coming from and how he's feeling, I figured I'd bring Ellone back in the story a little bit so I did that. I dunno, it kinda seemed a little cheesy to me so I guess I'll have to wait and see what you guys ultimately think about it. So... review, alright? Tell me if it sucked or if you loved it.

**Additional Note**: Dunno if anyone noticed the "I'll wait for you." "Why?" bit but yes, that was a tiny reference to the classic line "I'll be here." "Why?" "I'll be waiting here for you, so... if you come here... you'll find me. _I promise._" line.

And thanks to my friend Annie for getting me off my butt to type up this chapter P


	40. A Plan Overheard

**A/N**: Okay, so the last chapter seemed to go down pretty well with everyone which is good. It was basically a cute filler chapter, because as I have been more than obviously hinting to most of you, there will be some chapters in the future where some of you will probably hate me. So, I'm trying to be nice and give you lots of cute stuff before that happens. Tide you over a bit. Anyway, this chapter will be in Rinoa's perspective. Ooooh. Shocker. XD

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Forty: A Plan Overheard

_(Rinoa's POV)_

Rinoa lied down on her bed, staring at her cell._ I guess it's time to call Selphie. _She thought, sighing. She wasn't particularly looking forward to the awkwardness of the conversation — since she knew Selphie would want to know what progress had been made between herself and Squall. She dialed the all-too familiar number and waited, biting down gently on her bottom lip.

"Hello?" Selphie answered.

"Hi, Selph. It's me — Rinoa." She heard a loud squeal on the other end and pulled the phone away from her ear until it had faded.

"Rinoa! Oh my God! How are you? How's your dad?" Selphie asked in a rush.

"I'm doing great, and my dad is a lot better. He's out of intensive care into a regular room and he's hoping to be home soon." Rinoa said, smiling slightly.

"And how are things with you and Squall?" Selphie asked suggestively. Rinoa felt her face burn and stared down at the comforter on her bed.

"They're... really good." She admitted vaguely. She heard Selphie growl.

"That's not very descriptive!" She whined. Rinoa laughed and lied down on her stomach on the bed.

"Well... I... I'm not sure, but I _think _we're... you know, dating. I mean, neither one of us has really brought it up, but..." She stopped when Selphie's loud scream and the sound of something thudding loudly on the ground — something that turned out to be Selphie herself — was heard on the other end.

"WHAT!?" Selphie shouted. "When did this happen? How did it happen? I miss _everything_!" She complained.

"Um... earlier today, I guess. And... he kissed me." She smiled at the memory.

"HE kissed _you?_ Not the other way around? I... do you hear the sound of ice cracking? I think hell just froze over!" Selphie exclaimed. Rinoa rolled her eyes.

"Haha Selphie. Yes, he kissed me. And... yeah. That's really about it. But I'm... kind of scared." Rinoa admitted.

"Why!? You have exactly what you wanted — he obviously likes you, right?" Selphie encouraged.

"Yeah but... I'm just concerned that I won't be able to go back to Balamb. My stepmother doesn't want me there and with me being back home, it makes it just that much easier for her to persuade my dad. With him and I getting along, she might tell him that he should keep me here so we can... continue to bond. It would be a load of bull on her part, of course, but... I don't know. I'm sure I'm overreacting and being paranoid. Just... don't worry about it. So, how are things in Balamb?"

"Pretty good, nothings changed really. Oh, except we think Zell has a crush on some girl, but he won't tell us her name and he denies it when we ask him about it. Don't know why he bothers — he knows we'll find out. Eventually." Selphie added with a laugh.

"Well, let me know when you do — I want to be able to jump right back into things when I get back." Yes, that was hopeful thinking — positive thinking. That there would be a chance for such trivial things as teasing.

She remained on the phone with Selphie for about a half hour before finally having to get off. It wasn't exactly that they had nothing left to discuss — there had been a knock at her door and a soft voice calling her name that she recognized all too well.

When she opened the door, she saw Squall standing there, fidgeting. He smiled nervously when he saw her smiling back at him.

"Uh, hi." He said after a moment of awkward silence. She rolled her eyes and dragged him in her room — making him stare at her, shocked. She laughed at his expression and sat down on a chair as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"Hi, Squall." She said, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing at him — he was now playing with the ring on his finger, avoiding looking at her.

After they had sat there saying nothing — she really needed to find some topics he liked to talk about to prevent this from happening — she got up and sat next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder. He looked down at her for a moment before turning back to the ring on his hand.

"What's on your ring?" Rinoa asked suddenly, grabbing his hand and staring at the ring on his finger. He pulled the ring off and put it in her palm, closing her hand around the ring.

"A lion." He said after a moment. "You know how I grew up in that orphanage?" He asked her, turning to look down at her. She nodded and he continued. "My dad didn't know anything about my mother being pregnant, of course. This was... a memento, that he had left behind. A promise that he would return. Only she died, and... well, he came back too late. I was given this ring by the woman who ran the orphanage, one day when I was upset about Ellone being gone. I've had it ever since. Of course, I asked my dad if he wanted it back, when he... when he found me. You can probably guess what he said," Squall said, rolling his eyes. "So... I kept it. What... about your ring?" He asked, indicating the ring around the chain on her neck. She grabbed it instinctively and closed her eyes.

"It was my moms. My stepmother... doesn't know about that. It's why I started wearing it on this chain, since I could hide it under my clothes when I was at home. She got rid of everything she could that belonged to my mother and this was something I salvaged before she found it. Not even my dad knows I have it... Katie saw, once. I thought for sure she would tell, because that was when we were still not getting along, but she never did. I guess she could understand my sentimentality. Her dad died when she was little." Rinoa explained. She went to hand Squall his ring back, but he pushed it back to her.

"You... keep it." He said, his voice strained. She smiled at him and went to put it on her hand, before realizing it was too big. She grinned sheepishly and he reached behind her neck to unclip her chain. He grabbed the ring from her and put it on the chain, pushing it down next to her mothers ring.

"I... thank you, Squall." She leaned in to kiss him but he turned away. She frowned. _Did I say something wrong? _She wondered. He turned so his body was angled towards her and stared down at his lap.

"Rinoa... earlier today, you asked me to tell you how I felt. I... didn't think I could do it."

"It's okay — I understand, Squall." She interrupted. He grabbed her hand and held it in his own.

"I know you do. You're always understanding about... well, everything. Even when I'm being a jerk. But... I... do."

"Do what?" Rinoa asked, even though she had a good idea what he meant. He gave her a look, before sighing.

"Like... you. I actually do a lot. You're..." He struggled to find the right word. "Addicting." He admitted finally. She grinned at him.

"I'm no drug." She teased him. He fell backwards to lie his back on the bed.

"I don't mean like that. I mean... when I first heard you... you know, talk about me in your sleep... I wanted to avoid you. I wanted to not talk to you, not bother with you... not lead you on. But I never did that very well. The more I tried to avoid you, the more time I ended up spending with you instead." He looked up at her and she blushed from the intensity of his gaze.

"I'm glad you didn't avoid me." She whispered. She lied back and leaned against his side, snuggling into him. _This is the life. _She thought with a smile.

"Me too." He said after awhile. They lay there in silence, Squall staring at the ceiling and Rinoa staring at him. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Sammy came running in. He jumped on her bed excitedly.

"Rinoa! Rinoa! I just got back from the babysitters!" He cried. She sat up and turned to face him with a smile on her face.

"Hey Sammy! Did you have fun?" She asked him. He came over and sat on her lap.

"Yeah, but I want to see daddy." He said, his voice suddenly sad. He snuggled against her chest and sniffled. She pushed his hair back away from his face affectionately.

"Didn't you get to see him today?" She asked him, confused. He shook his head.

"Mommy won't let me see him. Not since the day you first got here. She keeps sending me to _Rachel." _Rinoa frowned — what was going on with her stepmother, and why wouldn't she let Sammy see their father? _He's not so sick anymore, right? That's why they took him out of intensive care. So what's she doing?_

"Rachel?" Rinoa questioned. Sammy nodded, smiling again.

"She's my babysitter! She's really, really nice. She let me watch movies today! It was a lot of fun. Hey, are you Rinoa's boyfriend now?" He asked suddenly, looking curiously at Squall who Rinoa saw blush slightly upon the young boys question. He shrugged.

"What makes you ask that?" He asked, smiling slightly.

"You're in her room. She _never _lets boys in her room." Sammy said in a hushed voice, causing Squall to laugh and smirk at Rinoa.

"Really? Guess I'm just special, then," Squall replied. Sammy smiled at that and got off Rinoa, grabbing Squall's arm.

"If you're Rinoa's friend, I want you to be mine too! Come play video games with me — please?" He stuck out his bottom lip, pouting, and Squall turned to glance at Rinoa.

"I think I know where he learned that from," Squall muttered, amused. "Sure, Sammy, for just a little while, okay?" Sammy dragged Squall out of the room, but Squall stopped at the door to mouth "_You owe me_" at Rinoa, before allowing himself to be dragged down the hall. Rinoa laughed, before standing up and walking over to the window in her room.

What Sammy had said about Gabriella not letting him go to visit their father troubled her. Perhaps she was simply overreacting — it was more than possible — but it just didn't sit right. It wasn't as if he was horribly ill or dying, so she shouldn't want to shelter Sammy from it. _Maybe she just hasn't wanted to watch him when she goes. I could take him... maybe I'll go ask her. ...even if it means I have to go downstairs and talk to her. Oh, ew. _She got up from her bed and stepped out of her room to go down the stairs to find her stepmother.

She saw Laguna and Nico talking quietly in the kitchen, and they smiled when they saw her.

"Hi, Rinoa!" Laguna called out cheerfully. "You up for an after-dinner snack?" He asked, winking. Rinoa smiled and shook her head furiously.

"No, not right now. I'm... looking for my stepmother. Have you seen her anywhere?" Rinoa asked, looking around. Nico smiled apologetically.

"Oh, I'm sorry Rinoa, I haven't seen her since we got in." She said.

"Wait! I passed her earlier, before I came in. She was going to your fathers study." Laguna explained. Rinoa narrowed her eyes slightly, but forced a smile.

"Thank you!" She called over her shoulder, running off towards her fathers study. _What is she doing in there? She has _no _business being in that room. It's like his escape from everything. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time she's gone in there uninvited, would it? _Rinoa frowned as she stopped outside the door. It was open a crack, and she stopped when she heard her stepmothers voice.

"I have arranged for your family to move here. You will be courting my stepdaughter formally — it shouldn't be that difficult, Devin, you said that you were on a date with her. Clearly she must have had some reason for being inclined to agree to such an affair. The Leonhart boy? Don't worry yourself over that. Just pack your things and move into the house that I have arranged for you in Deling. Wait — hang on a moment, I think I hear someone." Her stepmother said suddenly, her voice laced with suspicion. Rinoa's heart began beating faster as she quickly slid into one of the secret passageways near her fathers study. She held her breath, but found she couldn't hold it long enough. She decided to settle for breathing very quietly. She waited — heard the study door creak open wider and her stepmother step into the hallway. _Please don't notice me. _Rinoa prayed silently.

After a few moments, her stepmother seemed to have decided she had been imagining things and stepped back into the study. Rinoa waited a few minutes after the study door had closed before quietly slipping out and heading to her room.

_What does she mean, he will be courting me — moving here? And she was talking about Squall. What other Leonhart boy is there? I don't trust her. What is she planning? _Rinoa sank down to the floor in her room, surrounded by darkness, and buried her face in her hands.

What was she going to do?

**A/N**: Annnnd finally I have gotten this story heading in the direction I have planned it to go in for awhile now. You can probably _guess _what's coming, it's not all too subtle, but hopefully I can still throw in some surprises here and there. Please don't hate me! Anyway, R&R!


	41. Another Bump In The Road

**A/N**: I realize that this update has been a bit overdue, but I have a better idea of how I want this chapter to go, so hopefully I'll be able to get out more chapters, more frequently. And I'm sure no one has any objections to that, right?

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Happy Belated Birthday **to my friend Annie, who got me off my butt to work on this chapter. Sorry I didn't release it on your ACTUAL birthday, but I was working on it!

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Forty-One: Another Bump In The Road

When Rinoa was sure that she could safely leave without being noticed, she raced back to her room, closing the door behind her. Breathing heavily, she sank down to the floor and brought her knees close, trying to calm herself.

Why was she so worried? Her father was on her side now, he was going to give custody over to Nico and Laguna, and she would be able to stay with them. She would no longer have to worry about her stepmother, or Devin for that matter. It didn't matter what they were scheming, they wouldn't have a chance to put the plan in motion.

The question that remained was whether or not her father would sign the papers in time. Sure, he had promised, but what if Gabriella heard of his plan and stopped him? She could convince him otherwise, or sink to even lower actions which Rinoa believed was possible of her stepmother.

_I have to see my dad, _she realized. _I need to talk to him myself, to be sure that everything will be okay. _Even though she knew that the lawyer would be arriving the next day, she had to talk with her father to be sure he realized that changing his mind now would destroy her. Being with Katie wasn't so unbearable anymore - but her stepmother hadn't changed at all, and likely wouldn't.

She walked past Sammy's room and smiled when she heard Sammy talking to Squall. Normally she might have stopped in - asked Squall to come with her, now that she wouldn't be so afraid of his answer - but this was something that she needed to do on her own.

It was cold when she stepped outside, and she immediately regretted not grabbing a jacket to bring with her. She hoped her stepmother wasn't at the hospital - she didn't want to have to encounter her while going to see her father, because Gabriella would make Rinoa return home before she saw her father.

When she finally made it to the hospital and stepped inside, she quickly made her way to the elevator that would take her to the floor her father was currently on. _Hopefully none of the doctors are with him right now, _she thought momentarily. The elevator stopped and she got out, walking down the hallway to where her fathers room was at the end.

Luckily enough, her father was alone, and she let out a sigh of relief as she stepped into the room. He was awake, staring out the window that was next to his bed, but he looked up at her as she sat down on the chair next to him.

"Hey dad," She greeted warmly.

He narrowed his eyes, staring at her for a long time, before swallowing and finally murmuring, "Who are you?" Rinoa felt herself stiffen as she stared back at him.

"It's... Rinoa. Remember? Your... your daughter." She went to reach for his hand, but he pulled it away slowly, as if somehow fearing her.

"Daughter?" He said slowly. "No... no." He said firmly, shaking his head. Rinoa stood up, frightened.

"I'm your daughter! Your daughter with Julia Heartilly!" She cried, waiting for him to tell her he was kidding around. The blank expression on his face never vanished, and she realized he really didn't know who she was or why she would be there.

"I don't know who you are!" He whispered, reaching for the call button next to his bed. He pressed it several times. "Nurse! _Nurse!_" A nurse came into the room, to check on why he was calling her. She frowned at Rinoa, assuming that she was the reason for this sudden outburst.

"I'll have to ask you to leave, miss." The nurse told her tiredly, checking Rinoa's fathers charts. "I need to check on this patient, but then you can come back and—"

"He doesn't remember me." Rinoa said quietly, turning back to her father. "He doesn't know who I am!" She shouted, tears coming to her eyes as she turned back to the nurse. The nurse appeared surprised at this revelation, and walked over to the General.

"Can you tell me your name?" She asked him, holding the clipboard in her hands tight against her chest. He glanced at Rinoa for a moment before turning back to the nurse.

"I'm... Caraway. That's all I know." He sounded worried now, seeming to understand that there was very little he remembered and that perhaps Rinoa hadn't been a nutcase after all. The nurse sighed and turned to Rinoa, who was still staring at her father.

"I'm sorry, Miss Heartilly, but you're going to have to leave while the doctor comes in to examine your father. You are of course welcome to stay outside the room and wait until you're permitted in, but we need to do tests to see the extent of the memory loss your father is displaying." The nurse ushered Rinoa out of the room and into the hallway.

Rinoa sank down into one of the chairs outside of the room, still too stunned to speak. Her father's confusion earlier about where he was and where her mother was, didn't appear to be mere confusion anymore.

"_What are the side affects of this medication?" Gabriella had asked, her lips pursed tightly. The doctor looked at her, surprised._

"_Side affects?" He questioned._

"_Yes!" She had snapped. "All medication has some side affects, even if only for certain people."_

"_Best case scenario, he may have a loss of appetite, or feel a bit dehydrated. Worst case scenario... there could be some temporary memory loss from extended use."_

Temporary memory loss from extended use. He hadn't even been using it long enough for him to be feeling these side affects, had he? It had only been a day since the doctor had said that. Was twenty-four hours really enough to do this to him? _Oh, daddy... what's happening to you?_

It seemed her stepmother was going to get exactly what she wanted after all.

—

Squall fell down onto the bed, relieved to finally be free of playing video games with Rinoa's younger brother. Despite being overall well-behaved, the kid had tired him out with endless questions, and it was a relief to finally have some time to himself - something he enjoyed quite a bit.

Turning on to his side, he began wondering where Rinoa had been going when she had left. He had noticed her walk by earlier when he was still with Sammy, and when he had got up to look out the window, she had been running somewhere. He had considered going after her, but decided that if she wanted to be alone, he should let her have her space. He of all people could understand such desires.

There was a firm knock at his door, and with a groan he got up to see who was there. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Rinoa's stepmother, who naturally let herself into the room, walking over to his window.

"I don't suppose you would have seen my stepdaughter recently, would you?" She asked him briefly. He shrugged, not caring for talking with her. She narrowed her eyes and stepped towards him. "Perhaps your family is alright with such motions, but I quite prefer the use of words."

"I haven't seen her since about an hour ago."

"An hour? That seems like a long time for her to be gone, on her own no less. I wonder..." Squall stood there, impatiently waiting for her to decide to leave. When she didn't, he decided to ignore her presence and sat back down on his bed. "You know," she continued suddenly, "Perhaps this is for the best. I feel I need to have a word with you regarding Rinoa's well-being." Squall sighed, crossing his arms.

"You're concerned about her well-being then, are you?" He asked. Gabriella smiled, closing the door.

"Yes, I am. You're not right for her, you know. Rinoa is a city girl, a spoiled—"

"She seems to fit in Balamb just fine." Squall interrupted, not liking the turn of the conversation.

"Yes, well, I suppose those acting lessons paid off then, didn't they? Did she ever tell you about her dream, Squall?" When he didn't answer, she laughed. "No, of course she wouldn't, what are you to her? She always wanted to follow in her mothers footsteps, to be a singer herself, but her father naturally disapproved. After Julia was killed in that _tragic _accident, Rinoa's father intended to force Rinoa to quit playing music though of course that proved unnecessary. Rinoa quit by her own means. Over time, she still refused to be involved in anything musical, but she had taken quite an interest in acting and her father, wanting to make it up to her how _hard _he was on her, paid for her to take lessons."

"Tell someone who cares," Squall said tiredly, opening his door and indicating for her to leave. Gabriella smiled at him.

"Oh, but that's just the thing, isn't it? You do care. Too bad she never cared to tell you anything herself. You met her boyfriend, Devin, didn't you?" Squall froze. "They were dating before she went to Balamb you know, she was quite furious that her father was making her leave. They've been together for at least a year now, actually. What," She said, laughing now. "You thought she actually _cared _about you? She was just hoping to convince you to help her come back home. She was going to _use _you. Though of course, now it seems she won't have to. I received a call from the hospital, and it appears her dear father has lost a majority of his memory. She can tell him anything she wants to, and he'll believe it."

"You'd allow that?" Squall asked, trying not to think about what her words meant.

"Why, of course I would. After all, I never wanted her to go to that excuse of a town, least of all to live with _your _family. Forget her, Squall." Finally she left his room, leaving him alone to his thoughts. He had no reason to believe any of the things that she said, but he had to admit, she could be pretty persuasive.

It didn't matter what she had told him. He knew Rinoa, he had lived with her long enough and saw how she interacted with her friends. The things Gabriella told him couldn't possibly be true.

So why was he so worried?

**A/N**: A bit short, but I'm working on this during a free period at school and I will be uploading a new chapter (hopefully longer and more in-depth) tonight - so, you'll have lots more to read from me.

Plus, I think this one has lots to take in as it is without adding more. Oh, and the title for anyone wondering just has to do with the fact that Squall and Rinoa don't quite have their happy ending yet. (Thought I would explain, in case people were really bothered by the title.)

R&R!


	42. Goodbye

**A/N**: Well, I'm not sure what /everyone/ thought of the last chapter so far, but I know I hated it. I know, it was very rushed, probably because I only spent an hour on it just whizzing through the whole thing, but I needed to get it out. I needed to get the story back on track because I was sort of just lolling about with the whole thing and I needed to make it clear the direction the story was headed. However, as I said, I really didn't like how the last chapter went, it seemed that the beginning rushed into her father's amnesia and then suddenly transitioned to something else. I feel I should have added more filling moments between that, which I'm sure some of my more critical reviewers will agree. Anyway, this is a learning process, because though I have other Final Fantasy VIII fanfictions which I believe are much, much better (by far) than this, this is undeniably the most popular.

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to SquareSoft/Enix, not me.

**Addicted**

_EilayAdnayVolieay_

Chapter Forty-Two: Goodbye

It was several hours later when Squall finally awakened. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he turned to get out of his bed and jumped at the sight of Rinoa leaning against his wall, staring at the ground. She seemed to notice his movement, and quickly sat down next to him.

"Hi," She said quietly. Forcing aside the lies Gabriella had tried to give him, he smiled faintly.

"…hey, Rinoa." An awkward silence followed, before Rinoa finally grabbed his hand in hers.

"I went to visit my father," she confessed suddenly. "I had to visit him again, I was feeling… insecure. I thought that…" Her voice was trembling now, and she looked away from him. "I thought that if I saw him, it would make this anxiety go away. That I'd be sure nothing bad was going to happen."

"And did it?" Squall asked quietly. He heard her sniffling, and with a start realized that she was crying. She threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. He put his hand on her awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"No! Oh, Squall… the doctor said there was a risk of him getting amnesia, but I never… I never thought it would happen! But it did, he doesn't remember anything!" She cried hysterically. _Amnesia? So suddenly? Well… _

"I'm sure he'll remember soon," Squall tried to assure her, though he didn't feel very confident in his statement. Rinoa leaned back and stared at him, wiping the tears from her face.

"You don't understand," She whispered. "You can't… possibly understand. He can't sign the papers, which means my stepmother can tell him anything she wants and he'll believe it! He might _never _remember any differently! If he doesn't… I won't be able to go back to Balamb with you and your family. I don't want to stay in Deling!" This started the tears again, and she stood up and backed away from him, falling to the floor and burying her face in her hands. "I can't," She moaned. "Not now."

They remained that way for what seemed like eternity, Rinoa crying in her own embrace and Squall staring at her blankly from his bedside. After awhile, he got up and knelt down next to her.

"That… that won't happen," He promised her. She looked up at him.

"Wh—what?"

"It won't happen," He repeated.

"Then… then you'll help me?" She said suddenly, staring at him hopefully. He wasn't sure what he was getting into, but reluctantly he nodded.

"I— yeah. I will." _I… don't know what you want me to do Rinoa, but I can't leave you here. But… _"It's like she said," he whispered suddenly, feeling confused.

"Sorry?" Rinoa said, having heard him speak.

"N-nothing." _It doesn't matter what Rinoa's stepmother said. I… trust Rinoa. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. _

—

Squall breathed on his hands and rubbed them together, trying to keep them warm. Rinoa had gone inside the hospital again to talk to her father, while Squall stayed outside to keep watch for her stepmother. If he saw the older woman at all, he was to try and delay her. Rinoa was going to try and talk to her father to remind him of the promise he had made her, as a desperate attempt to reach him before anyone else could. Squall wasn't sure how well it would work — the way Rinoa had made it sound, her father had been frightened at the sight of her and was very confused about everything that was going on. It wasn't healthy for him to have someone trying to force him to remember things, but telling Rinoa that in her current state had ended up getting him nowhere.

_I wonder if she really did take acting lessons, _he thought after awhile. _She's never mentioned anything about it before… ugh, what am I doing? Allowing someone else to think for me? To manipulate me? Since when have I ever allowed that? This isn't me. I can't lose sight of… who I am. I won't be controlled, by anyone, and I won't be brainwashed. _

The parking lot for the hospital was fairly empty due to the time, so when Squall heard the sound of footsteps, he immediately turned to find the source. It wasn't long until a figure was stepping into the light, and Squall saw that it was none other than Devin. He narrowed his eyes and turned away, ignoring the unwelcome teens presence.

"Excuse me, have you seen— oh! You're… Squall, right?" Devin said suddenly with a grin. Squall glanced at him for a moment, before turning away. "Oh, right, forgot. You were the one that doesn't like to talk, Rinoa warned me about that. Oh! Which reminds me. Have you seen her anywhere?"

"No." Squall lied, walking away. Devin was soon cutting in front of him, and Squall was forced to come to a stop.

"Well, if you see her, can you give these to her for me?" Devin held out a bouquet of flowers with a note attached to it. "I know it's not her birthday or anything, but they're her favourites and I figured she could use the boost with her dad's situation. Maybe I'll go see the general," Devin added as an afterthought.

Squall didn't grab the flowers, so Devin put them down on a bench next to him and walked towards the front entrance of the hospital. After several moments, Squall finally turned to the bouquet and unable to resist, grabbed the note attached and opened it up.

_I'll always be there for you, Rinoa.  
Love always, Devin._

Squall put it down and sat next to it on the bench, leaning back and staring at the sky. Since when had his life gotten so complicated? He didn't believe that Gabriella would have been telling the truth, not knowing how much she wanted to make Rinoa unhappy.

He wasn't sure exactly when Rinoa had come out of the hospital, but when he saw her, he found himself glancing at the bouquet again.

"He was so confused," Rinoa said sadly, coming to a stop in front of Squall. "He didn't even realize who I was again, I spent half the time trying to make him remember that much from earlier today and by the time I had, he was so tired I couldn't bear to force him to stay awake. Oh!" She noticed the bouquet and picked it up gently. "I… don't suppose this is for me?" She asked shyly.

Seeing her so happy, as if she had been expecting this from Devin, suddenly made Squall feel very sick, and very alone. She wasn't even bothering to pretend in front of him anymore? _Rinoa… you never meant it. None of it. Ugh, and I was stupid enough to think _I _liked you. _He began walking away, but Rinoa grabbed his hand gently.

"Where are you going, Squall?" She asked.

"Away," He said tiredly. "I need time alone." She withdrew from him, and he suddenly stopped, wondering if he had actually hurt her. _She'd need to care to feel hurt, _he told himself. _Why am I doing this to myself? To her? _

Time alone was sounding like a better and better idea.

—

Rinoa was unsure what she had done, but she felt as if something had changed while she was in the hospital. She looked back down at the bouquet of flowers after Squall left, and read the note she held in her hand. _Devin? _She thought after reading it. _I forgot he was in Deling, ever since Squall and I saw him in my father's study. Squall… is this what's got you so upset? _She smiled at the thought of Squall being jealous, realizing he must have misinterpreted the meaning of the bouquet. _He was with me when Devin received orders from my stepmother, why on earth would he possibly think I'd want anything to do with him? _

It seemed she had some explaining to do, and it was probably best if she did it soon. She felt torn, however, knowing Squall needed his space. He was used to solitude, and her chasing after him would probably only anger him now. _I'll talk to him when he gets back to the mansion, _she decided. _For now, I… have to figure out what to do. Daddy won't listen to me, and the lawyers won't talk to him in his current state. _

She decided that the only thing she could do would be to head back to the mansion and go to sleep. It was late, she was tired, and it had been an extremely long day.

—

When Rinoa awakened from her sleep, it was so early that it was still dark outside. She considered lying back down on the bed to rest a little longer, but knew immediately that she would be unable to fall asleep if she tried. She decided instead to go down to the kitchen and have an extremely early breakfast, or at least a snack. Maybe food would tire her out to go back to sleep.

The light was already on in the kitchen when she entered it, and she saw Squall sitting at the table, stirring a bowl of cereal around. She smiled and kissed him on the forehead lightly, hoping it would be okay.

"You're awake awful early," She commented cheerfully. He looked up at her, before turning back to his breakfast. She made a face but decided to ignore his reaction – it was really early, and she knew from experience he wasn't much of a morning person usually. She poured herself a bowl of cereal before sitting across from him at the small table.

They both ate in silence, Squall seeming to deliberately be avoiding her gaze which was worrisome to her. Finally, she put her hand on his when he went to take another spoonful of his cereal, stopping him.

"Squall, what's going on?" She asked him. He put the spoon down and got up, intending to walk away, but she wrapped her arms tightly around him. "I'm not letting go until you at least try to explain," She warned him. With a sigh, he pried her arms off him and turned to face her.

"What do you want from me?" He asked her.

"…excuse me?"

"What do you want from all of this?" He rephrased. She pulled her hand back.

"I… don't know what you mean, Squall. What have I done?"

"Nothing. I… I can't do this, Rinoa." He couldn't even look at her now, and she felt hurt. "I need to go back to Balamb," He told her after neither of them had said anything for awhile.

"Then take me with you," She begged, reaching out for him again. He pulled away.

"I can't, Rinoa."

"Please, you have to! You can't… you can't leave me here, Squall! I _need _you, I need the people who care about me." _Zell, Selphie, and Quistis back at home… I can't just forget about them, I can't leave them behind. _

"Then you don't need me." He said firmly. She felt a chill run through her body at his words, and she shook her head.

"You don't mean that, you're upset, I did something and I'm sorry—"

"You didn't do anything. I just realized that…" He turned around, clenching his fists. "This isn't me. None of this is me. I was… confused. I'm not anymore."

"Squall, don't do this. You're right, this isn't you, what you're doing! I don't know what happened, but you… you don't mean this."

"I do," Squall countered, turning back to her and pushing her against the counter. "I mean it, Rinoa. I want my old life back, I want everything back the way it was before… before you came."

_Do you regret me coming to live with you that much, Squall? What happened? I thought… you cared about me. All those times we were together, even before you knew of any feelings I had for you. I hate it here, I hate it so bad! Nothing good ever comes from being here for me, nothing. I can't… I can't…_

"I can't lose you." She whispered, not caring if he saw her cry. "I can't, Squall. If you're confused, I'll wait for you to figure this out, but you can't leave me here. You can't run away from the problem to make it go away."

"Maybe not," He admitted. "But… I can _try._"

**A/N**: I don't blame you guys if you hate this chapter x.X I find it better than the last, though, if nothing else. Anyway, we're really getting into the main course of events, the stuff I've been planning since… well not since day one but for a long time. Squall's returning to Balamb, Rinoa's father has amnesia and her stepmother is going to make her stay in Deling away from all her new friends she's grown to love. R&R, and thanks to everyone who has reviewed the last chapter thus far.


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